You Should Never Play with Fire
by riseagainsttboi
Summary: Amaya Toshi, aka Nightfire, is the most feared assassin in the Makai. But when she is finally captured by the Spirit Detectives, will she finally open up her black heart or waste away into nothingness?
1. Chapter 1

In the darkest part of a Makian city, a lone figure wearing a black cloak walked swiftly down a narrow alley. Nothing of the figure could be seen except haunting blood red eyes with flecks of black in them. Behind the figure was the red moon of the Makai world. They stoped in front of two huge looking demons that were guarding a door. Immediately they position themselves in a protective stance in front of their charge, glaring down at the much smaller figure.

"You are unwelcome here, scum," one of the guards barked. "Leave before we are forced to make you!" The second guard nodded.

The figure's eyes narrowed dangerously at him, sending shovers through both of the guards. "Do you wish to die, you pathetic demons, at the hands of Nightfire?" came a feminime voice that was full of malice coming from the figure. Both guards' eyes widenend in horror as they stared at Nightfire, the most feared and powerful assasin in Makai. She had become known famously by her kills because it is said she only reveals her face to her victims before they were killed.

One of the guards dropped to his knees and begged for forgiveness, but the other knew it was too late for that. Yet he tried to escape none of the less and found himself instantly paralyzed in his spot; the ceasing of his comrade's pleas told him he was in the same predicament.

Nightfire chuckled softly as she surveyed her prisoners. "Now you shall see the face of _death_," she whispered coldly. Her gloved hands slowly took off her hood. The guards, highly expecting to look upon a face of utmost evil and vileness, were shocked out of their minds to see a face of beauty. Her hair was shoulder-length, jet-black with neon red streaks. Her skin was very fair with no blemishes, and her pink soft lips were curled into a nasty smirk as her eyes showed amusement. "Well, it's time to say goodbye boys," she snarled. Sudden screams of pain came from the guards as Nightfire threw two fire orbs at them. Soon, their cries ceased and only ash was left of them. Putting her hood back on, Nightfire lazily flicked her hand at the door the demons used to be guarding. The old wooden entrance swung upon from her use of telekinesis. Stepping inside, she closed the door softly behind her and then slowly descended old rotten stairs, creaking with her every footstep.

As she reached the bottom, Nightfire found herself in a familiar bar room. The stench of demons filled the air, all low class and not worthy of bother. Scanning the dimly lit room, she found an all too familiar demon sitting at the back. As she traversed her way towards the demon, frantic whispers erupted all around. Every one of the demons in the room was looking at her frightfully as if she would murder them on the spot. Reaching the demon, she pulled out a chair and stared down at her source.

He was a low class demon like the rest with greasy hair covering his empty black eyes that stared at her in fright.

Nightfire narrowed her eyes at him as she gingerly sat down. Even though she had known this demon for a few years now, four exactly ever since she started her career, she still never trusted him; him nor anyone else . . . ever. "What do you have for me today Paulo?" she asked in a low voice, the sounds of the bar in the background.

Paulo nervously eyed her before saying, "I have bad news. Koenma has put yet another bounty on you head; this time for even more money than the last."

"Hn. Wouldn't be surprised since I had escaped his little Spirit World jail five times already," Nightfire grunted. "Anything else?"

"Yes," Paulo said. "A group of demons, all B class, have kidnapped an ice apparition and are planning to use her for her tear jems." Paulo watched as the assassin's hard and cold eyes showed slight interest after this news.

"Do you know anything of this apparition?" Nightfire inquired after some thought.

Paulo nodded vigorously, taking her question as a good sign. "She is from the floating island Koorime, and I have heard some rumors that she is the sister of the wielder of the Jagan Eye."  
Now this intrigued Nightfire. "Where are they located?" she demanded.

"The location might not be exact, but it is said that they are hiding on the island where the Dark Tournament had taken place."

Nightfire stood up, signifying that the meeting was over, but in a flash Paulo was dangling high in the air by his collar with a steel cool blade at his neck. "Remember Paulo," came Nightfire's cold voice, sending waves of fear through the demon, "do not betray me, or you shall end up like the last one who had double-crossed me."

Paulo nodded furiously, indeed remembering what had happened to her last source. It was three years ago, a year after Nightfire and her skills were starting to become known and feared. Koenma was after her because she had assassinated a high class demon who worked for Koenma. Her last source, under threat of execution, spilled the beans to the Spirit Detectives of her whereabouts. Nightfire had barely escaped with her life. After tricking the child ruler of Spirit World and his Detectives that she moved elsewhere, she tracked down her source. Let's just say even now no one has found his body.

With a satisfied smirk, Nightfire sheathed her katana and let Paulo drop unceremoniously to the ground. With a soft swish of her cloak, she seemed to glide out of the bar room with her cloak billowing out behind. Once outside, she breathed deeply in the night air.

_And now for that apparition_, she thought. Walking to a nearby shadow, she disappeared into it.


	2. Chapter 2

In another world called Spirit World where all mortals and heroes that have died go, a toddler sat behind a large wooden desk, drumming his small fingers anxiously on the desk top while knawing on his binky. He was Koenma Daioh, the prince and if necessary ruler of Spirit World. Although he did not look it, he was actually almost 5000 years old. The tension he felt was killing him. Just a few moments ago, he was informed that an ice maiden had been kidnapped earlier in the day.

Reaching for the intercom on his desk, he pressed a button and called into it, "Boton, I want you to send me the Spirit Detectives right away."

A bubbly voice responded, "Yes, Koenma sir! Be there in five minutes."

Soon, the two great and golden doors in front of him burst open. A girl with blue hair tied back in a ponytail and wearing a pink kimono came in. Behind her came four boys. The first that entered seemed to have the air of a leader. His dark hair was slicked back, and his chocolate brown eyes looked at Koenma with boredom. The second boy that walked with the first was at least half a foot taller with orange, Elvis-like hair and beetle black eyes. The two wore the same plain school uniform with the exception that the first wore it green, and the second wore it blue. A third boy walked in the office behind them. He also wore a uniform of magenta coloring, but this uniform had a different lining down his front. He had long, red hair and kind emerald eyes. The last to walk in was the shortest of the group. He had gravity-defying, black hair that made him taller than he appeared. The light gave his hair a shine at his forehead that was covered with a white cloth. He wore all black except for a white scarf around his neck. Like the first boy, his crimson red eyes showed boredom as he walked over to a corner and stood there. The rest of the boys situated themselves in front of the toddler with the blue haired girl at his side.

"What do you want now, binky-breath?" rudely asked the leader.

A vein appeared on the tiny ruler's head. "Yusuke, don't call me that!" he yelled.

The teen in green rolled his eyes while the boy in blue snickered beside him.

Koenma cleared his throat before growing serious. "I have grave news," he announced, his eyes flickering towards the shortest for a brief second. "Just hours ago, on her way back home to Koorime, Yukina was kidnapped."

"WHAAAT!! YUKINAA!?" screamed the boy in blue. The short one had a look of murder in his face while his eyes also showed a small trace of worry.

"Yes Kuwabara," confirmed Koenma. "Five B class demons are responsible for this."

"Koenma sir, why have they taken her?" asked the red head.

The short one growled. "Who cares why they have taken her. Where has she been taken??" he demanded, his eyes flashing dangerously.

The toddler nodded, slightly unnerved at the fury emanating from the short one. "Calm down Hiei," he commanded. Turning to the red head, he answered, "As for your question Kurama, they have taken her for the same reasons; for her tear jems." He took out a remote from a drawer and clicked a button. The boys turned their attention to a giant screen that rose from the floor behind them. A picture of an island surrounded by dark, murky waters and an inky black sky came into view. To the boys, the location looked oddly familiar. . .

"This island is what's left after the Dark Tournament," Koenma informed. "Yukina was taken here. You boys will retrieve her and dispose of the demons." He opened a portal, and the boys, one by one, silently stepped in.


	3. Chapter 3

In a shadow under a dead tree stepped out Nightfire. She warily surveyed her surroundings as she made her way towards the old and crumbling stadium used in the Dark Tournament. The whole island was in ruins from when Sakyo, the former host of the tournament, blew up the place. Everything seemed dead and barren. Nightfire walked on the cracked and dusty road. After many twist and turns, it finally led to the ruins of the old stadium that once held bloody fights to the death. Using her demonic abilities, she sensed that five demon auras seemed to be surrounding another, gentler aura. Stepping into a nearby shadow, Nightfire emerged from another shadow inside the stadium.

In the middle stood five wolf-like demons, all surrounding a young girl. She had short aqua-marine hair with a red bow on top. Her eyes, a familiar crimson red, were filled with fear. She wore a now torn kimono that matched the color of her hair. Around her wrists were metal handcuffs attached to a chain to further keep her from escaping.

The demon holding her chain seemed to be the leader. "Now, now," he growled like a dog, "Cry us some tear gems, and we won't harm you . . . much." The other four laughed raucously. The maiden's quiet pleas to let her go made the demons laugh harder. "Well, if you won't give us our gems this way, I guess my boys will have to force 'em out of you," said the leader. Nightfire watched in disgust as the other four demons extracted their claws, preparing to attack. Having seen enough of this, Nightfire waved her hand, using her psychic abilities to knock away three off the demons. The leader and the still standing demon were dumb-struck at their fallen comrades before turning towards the place where they now saw a clocked figure. The leader instantly dropped the chain and also extracted his claws, growling menacingly.

Nightfire smirked evilly in her cloak. _Pathetic weaklings_, she thought. Both demons charged at her, claws raised, and poised to rip their target limb from limb. As soon as they were in close range, Nightfire swiftly unsheathed her katana and beheaded the leader. With her other hand she plunged it into the chest of the other. His gut-wrenching screams echoed in the still air as Nightfire ripped out his heart. The corpse instantly dropped to the ground, blood seeping from the wound. The heart emitted a sucking-like sound before ceasing movement altogether. Flinging the organ away from her, she turned her attention to the other three demons who were staring at her in horror.

As soon as they got a glimpse of her eyes, one yelled, "I-It's Nightfire!!"

Chuckling softly, Nightfire replied, "Good boys. Now there will be no need for introductions. Prepare to meet the face of death." She took off her hood for them to see. Like the guards, they were shocked to see the face that was the death of many. "Say your prayers," she whispered, and like the guards, she threw fire balls at them. Their screams of torture subsided as they burned into ash.

Putting her hood back on, she sheathed her katana and turned to the ice apparition.

The maiden's eyes were wide with fear at the ruthless demon. "W-Who are you?" she asked shakily.

"That is none of your concern," Nightfire answered curtly. She walked towards the maiden until they were in close proximity. Taking the chain, Nightfire broke it and the metal cuffs as easily as if it were plastic.

"Are you taking me back?" the maiden asked politely and with less fear this time.

"Not at the moment." Turning her back to her, Nightfire threw fire orbs at the ground to create a message. Once the task was complete, she took a bandana out from her cloak. "You will come with me until you wounds heal," she said emotionlessly, as if her words were just excess air that she needed to exhale. Turning around, she tied it over the maiden's eyes before throwing her over her shoulder. Nightfire stepped into a nearby shadow and with her passenger, shadowed away from the island.

* * *

Just outside the stadium, a black portal appeared out of thin air, and Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei stepped out, faces grim.

"The entrances seem to be caved in," Kurama said out loud after close inspection of the area.  
Kuwabara shivered involuntarily. "You guys, I have a bad feeling right now. I don't feel any demons' presence here," he said.

"Hn. Stop this useless rambling and let's finish our job," Hiei said emotionlessly, but inside he was seething for revenge.

"Agreed," says Yusuke. Shaping his hand in a gun position, he pointed his index finger towards a wall in front of them. Spirit energy gathered to that one finger. "SPIRIT GUN!" he shouted, and a blue burst of powerful energy shot from his finger and to the wall. A loud blast and crumbling was heard, smoke flying everywhere. As soon as the smoke dispersed, the boys saw a hole huge enough for them to walk through. Yusuke grinned cockily at his handiwork.

"Hn," muttered Hiei before he disappeared before their eyes, racing inside. The other three quickly followed. When they had caught up to Hiei in the middle of the stadium, the sight before them was nothing they had expected.

To the right, two corpses lay. Once was beheaded, the demon's head laying face down next to its owner. The other was surrounded by dark red blood. A large hole in the chest cavity seemed to be the cause of its death. A few feet away from the mutilated demon was, to the boys' shock and disgust, the demon's heart.

"Ugh, I think I'm gonna be sick!" groans Kuwabara, looking slightly pale at the sight of the mess.  
"Hey! Look over here!" shouts Yusuke, pointing to their left. On the ground were three unmistakable piles of ash with the embers still burning.

Hiei didn't pay attention to any of the two sights. His crimson eyes were fixed at the burning flames in front of him. Kurama, noticing his friend's more than unusual silence, looked towards the same direction he was looking. In front of them, a few yards away from the beheaded corpse, was a trail of fire that seemed to form a message . . .

"Hey, what's that say?" Yusuke asks as both he and Kuwabara also notice the fire.

_Detectives,  
I have your ice apparition. Do not worry. I promise she'll not be harmed. She will be returned to you sooner or later . . .  
Nightfire_

The air was silent except for the crackling of the fire. Utter fury seeped into the night air around the boys; particularly by Hiei. He was in a murderous rage. How DARE that criminal scum have the audacity to kidnap Yukina?! Yet, Hiei felt coldness and dread all through his body at the thought that when Yukina will return . . . or if she returns . . Balling his left fist tightly, he slammed it hard into the ground, leaving a huge crater.

Yusuke dully pulled from his pocket a pink make-up compact. He opened it to reveal a screen.

"Did you retrieve Yukina?" Koenma inquired as his head appeared in the screen. No one replied, telling him their answer in their silence. "Well what happened?" he asked impatiently.

"Nightfire has her Koenma sir," Kurama told him as he sadly shook his head. He told Koenma of the message left for them.

The toddler's eyes seemed to bulge once Kurama was finished. "Detectives, return back immediately so we can discuss this anymore further!" Koenma ordered shrilly.

The boys all nodded, and as Yusuke closed the small communicator, a portal appeared. All of them slowly stepped through.


	4. Chapter 4

Deep in a remote forest in the Human World, Nightfire, with the ice apparition still slung over her shoulder, stepped out of a tree's shadow. She set the maiden down on her feet and took off the bandana, stowing it back in her cloak.

Blinking her crimson eyes, the maiden took in her new surroundings. She and her new kidnapper were surrounded by dense, dark trees that seemed to be endless for her. In front of them, though, was a white feudal-looking home that was elevated by sturdy wooden posts. Yukina, the ice apparition, looked at her captor, who stood the same height as her, and once again asked who she was. All she got was a grunt. Her cloaked captor led her up the porch stairs and into the house.

The home had few furnishings and was also white inside. A few daggers and other weapons hung on the plain walls as decorations. The room was divided into both a living room and kitchen. A sliding door to the right seemed to lead to the bedroom.

Nightfire left the maiden at the door and went into the bedroom where she took a first aid kit. Bringing it back, she roughly brought the maiden to one of the sitting mats on the floor and began to clean and bandage some of her wounds.

When she was done, the maiden smiled a little. "_Domo arigato_. My name is Yukina. Will you tell me yours?" she asked politely.

"Nightfire," she replied shortly.

"Umm, how long are you going to keep me here?" Yukina asked timidly.

"Depends." Pointing to the room where she had taken the first aid from, Nightfire told her, "You shall sleep there for the time being."

Yukina nodded her head, stood up, and made her way towards the door. She slid it open and turned around to face Nightfire just inside the doorway. Yukina put her hands together and bowed respectfully at her. "Thank you once again Nightfire-san for saving me from those demons," Yukina said.

The cloaked figure nodded stiffly, and with her psychic powers she gently pushed Yukina into the room and slid the door shut. For a long moment, Nightfire stood in the middle of her living room in silence. Then with a flick of her hand, the first aid was gone and so were the bandages.

Nightfire was deep in thought as to what next step she should take. She took off her cloak and flung it on a nearby stool. She paid no heed to the metal clang from when the cloak landed on the stool. Nightfire wore black skin-tight pants and a black fishnet shirt over a red tank top. She also wore black fingerless gloves that reached up to her elbows and knee-length leather boots. Strapped to her side was her katana, the very first she's ever had. Closing her eyes, Nightfire lowered her spirit energy so as not to make her location obvious to the Spirit Detectives. Opening her eyes, she looked into a mirror that hung on the wall in between two short swords. Her eyes were now a dark brown, almost black, while her still shoulder-length hair was all jet black. Her lily white skin seemed to take on the yellowish tint of the paper lamp light. Wrinkling her nose in disgust at her appearance, Nightfire took one last look at the sliding door where Yukina had gone through moments ago before walking out of her home. Locking all the doors and windows psychically, she jumped into a tree and sat down on a branch, staring up at the full Human World moon. Her thoughts turned back to her past and flashes of it passed through her very own eyes.

Since her birth, Nightfire had never had nor felt kindness or love, not even from her own parents. To them, she was a mistake, always beaten and abused. Soon after she turned five in Human years, her parents knocked her unconscious. When she woke up, she found herself in this same forest, alone and abandoned. From then on, Nightfire had to fend for herself, but at one point met an all powerful human by the name of Genkai and for a while was trained by her; oh how Yusuke Uremeshi would seethe to know that! Amaya chuckled at that; Amaya Toshi . . . her real name that no one knew or will ever know. Her new rising as a dangerous and powerful assassin for higher gave her new name: Nightfire. Did she regret anything that she did before? No, never. It was all for the sole purpose of survival and no one would stop her. Not even that damned toddler ruler and his lackies!

Amaya looked over at the house for a moment. "But what to do with Yukina?" she whispered. Slowly, her eyelids drooped shut, and she fell asleep under the night sky.

* * *

"So, from what you all have told me, Yukina has now been taken by Nightfire?" Koenma confirmed once the Spirit Detectives were back and had told them what they had found on the island.

Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama nodded slowly and sadly in front of him. At his usual place at a far off corner, Hiei stood solitarily away from everyone else, looking at an interesting piece of dirt on the wall with a blank face. He had not said a word since they had returned.

Koenma sighed in exasperation. He was very doubtful that Nightfire would keep her word to them to not harm Yukina. He shuddered at the thought of what she could be doing to poor Yukina right now. Yukina was better off with those wolf demons, Koenma thought as he sighed again. He dismissed his detectives with the promise that they will be called back once he finds news about Nightfire's whereabouts. As soon as the great golden doors were shut behind the gloomy group, the toddler immediately went to work at ordering his ogres around to find some information as to where the assassin could be. And if I don't find her soon, Hiei would not only be tearing around all three worlds to find her, but he'll be after _my_ head! Koenma thought in worry.


	5. Chapter 5

Amaya woke up with a jolt on the branch she had been sleeping on as her ears picked up quiet footsteps approaching her below. Rolling off the branch, she landed with almost cat-like reflexes in front of a very startled Yukina.

"_Ohayo_," Yukina greeted once she regained her composure, bowing as she had done the night before. The girl took a closer look at her new companion. "Who are you?" she asked politely.

Amaya stiffened as a breeze blew and a strand of her jet black hair flew into her view. Dammit, Amaya a.k.a Nightfire thought, cursing her carelessness. "That is none of your business," she told Yukina gruffly. Amaya surveyed the startled girl's appearance and noticed that indeed she had healed and also, her kimono was torn almost virtually into shreds from the demons. "Stay here," Amaya ordered and then jumped into the tree she had slept in. Moving into a shadow, she shadowed herself into the house. Immediately putting her cloak back on, she raised her spirit energy back to its original power. Raising her slender hand, she snapped her fingers and instantly held a red kimono.

Once again, Yukina was startled when Nightfire jumped out of the same tree the girl had been in moments before holding a red kimono. "Where did the other girl go to?" she asked as she caught the delicate fabric thrown to her.

"Hn," Nightfire grunted while turning around to give the ice apparition some privacy. "I took _care_ of her," she said with a smirk.

Yukina dropped her torn kimono in shock with her crimson red eyes looking at the back of the cloaked figure. "Did you harm her?" she asked worriedly.

Nightfire turned around to face her. "She is none of your concern," Nightfire said shortly. Holding up her arm, she commanded, "Leave the garment and take hold of my sleeve. I have to take care of some business, and I can't take the risk that you might try to escape." As Yukina did as she was told Nightfire said under her breath, "Like you _can_ escape from me." With her other hand, she threw a fire ball at the discarded material and then pulled Yukina with her towards a shadow.

In a dark alley of a Makai city, Nightfire stepped out of a shadow with Yukina in tow. Shaking her sleeve out of her hold, Nightfire took out another cloak from a pocket and handed it to the ice maiden. "Wear it, for there would be many other demons that would want their grimy hands on you for your gems."

Yukina nodded and slipped on the cloak over herself so that none of her showed.

Nightfire nodded in approval and signaled for her to follow. Out of the alley, they walked in between the different demons that walked the streets. All of the demons had one thing in common: they all were apprehensive of their surroundings and most were constantly checking over their shoulders. The two cloaked figures weren't out of place in the crowds since there were others who wore cloaks too. Nightfire led Yukina down another alleyway and with some short cuts, came to a small pawn shop.

Nightfire stopped just in front of the entrance and turned to Yukina. "Do not speak or touch a thing," she commanded. "If any trouble befalls upon you or me the consequences will be . . _disastrous_ for you and your little Spirit Detective friends. Got it?"

Yukina nodded fearfully before silently following the assassin.

The shop, though appearing outside that it was a little pawn shop, was on the inside a weapon shop. Many different kinds of swords, shurikens, and kunai lined the walls in glass cases. On shelves or stands were spears, maces, and other weapons that seemed to come from the Middle Ages. Nightfire could hear the thuds of dull metal at the back of the shop where a blacksmith hammered on what looked to be the beginnings of a sword. Making her way there with Yukina in close tow, she stopped in front of the desk that stood in place between her and the working blacksmith.

The owner of the shop, a wizened old demon with dark skin and small horns coming out from his forehead, looked up at his customer. His yellow cat-like eyes widened in fear to see familiar blood red eyes with black flecks staring back at him coldly. "N-Nightfire," he croaked. "What a p-pleasant surprise. What may I do for you today?" He looked over her shoulder and saw another cloaked figure close behind. Looking back at the assassin, he asked if they were her new apprentice.

"Do I seem like I need one?" Nightfire asked dangerously.

The old shop keeper quickly shook his head.

Nightfire pushed back one side of her cloak and unsheathed her katana. It was very delicate, sharp for a clean kill with a phoenix at the base of the blade. Her hilt was plain and had the wear of great use. She held her sword before the shop keeper. "My blade has taken damage on my last raid," Nightfire grunted and carefully gave her precious katana into the old demon's wrinkled hands. "Fix it."

The shop keeper's bald head glistened even in the dim light of the blacksmiths fire as he bent down to examine the blade, mumbling to himself. Once he felt satisfied with what correction should be taken, he looked back up at the cold eyes that bore down on him. "What will be my payment?" he questioned greedily.

Nightfire's eyes narrowed. "You get to live," she hissed. Reaching back, she brought Yukina forth and took off her hood to reveal her face to the demon. "And you shall get five tears gems," Nightfire bartered.

The old demon, while shocked to know that the other cloaked figure was a Koorime child, was pleased with the trade. He smiled wide, showing that he had only two small fangs, and nodded his head as he gave the katana to his apprentice behind him. "It shall be finished in less than an hour," he informed Nightfire.

She nodded and turned to Yukina, ordering her to put back on her hood. "You will stay here and only here," Nightfire said. "I shall come back in an hour for I have to take care of other business." Looking over her shoulder at the shop keeper, she said, "You! Watch over her and make sure nothing happens to her. If anything does, your head shall make a fine trophy on my wall. Got it?"

The demon nodded his head vigorously, his whole body shaking in fear. His yellow eyes watched the assassin until she was out of his shop. Turning to the Koorime girl, he asked, "So, do you know how to work a broom?"

Yukina nodded.

* * *

Nightfire had found Paulo at the same bar as the night before. Once again, he looked upon her in fear; fear that she reveled in.

"Ahhh, Paulo. Surprised to see me again?" she whispered as she took a seat across him at the table.

Paulo shook his head in a jerky manner to which earned a small evil chuckle from the assassin.

"I am here for information on what is happening in Spirit World," Nightfire said bluntly. "What has that baby prince been up to now?"

Paulo took a deep breath to calm his nerves. She needs me for my information, he thought. So she won't kill me. _Yet_, came a small voice in the back of his head. Avoiding her eyes, he muttered, "It is said that his Spirit Detectives are in a rage when they found your message, and Prince Koenma is trying to find out where you are hiding the ice apparition now."

Nightfire nodded slowly. It will only be a matter of time until-

"SPIRIT GUUNNN!!"

_BOOOOMMMM!!_

Many demons in the bar screamed and panicked as the door that led to the entrance was blasted into oblivion by a blue burst of recognizable spirit energy.

"Spirit Detectives!" someone yelled and soon all the demons inside immediately rushed for cover as four young boys walked into the room.

Paulo flew off his chair and took refuge under the table. He watched as Nightfire still sat complacently in her seat, her eyes that were the only thing seen under her cloak, danced wickedly.

Nightfire stood up slowly from her seat and faced the four outraged Spirit Detectives. She opened her arms out wide. "Well, well, well. Isn't this a pleasant surprise," she said mockingly.

Kuwabara stepped forward. He held out his hands as if holding a sword and yelled, "Spirit Sword!" Instantly, an orange spirit energy-made sword appeared. "Where have you taken my beloved Yukina?!" he demanded.

Nightfire smirked. Ahhh love. What a weak thing. "I assure you that she is doing well. Ahh, as well as she'll ever be I should say." Nightfire ducked low as a thorny whip came at her head. She laughed as she regained composure and turned to the red head pretty boy named Kurama. "Is that all you've got Yoko?" she taunted and crossed her arms before her chest.

Hiei growled in between Kurama and Yusuke as he unsheathed his katana. "You _baka onna!_ You are a coward! Fight me!"

Nightfire's eyes narrowed murderously and she uncrossed her arms. Of all the Spirit Detectives, it was Hiei Jaganshi that irked her the most. "Well come on Jaganshi," she hissed. "Make your move!"


	6. Chapter 6

Without warning, Hiei came charging at her with his lightning speed, katana poised to kill. Nightfire pushed back one side of her cloak to take out her own katana but felt only the empty scabbard. Her eyes widened as she remembered that she had left her katana at the shop. Nightfire dodged the main force of the blow but was cut deep on her left shoulder. She did not flinch as she landed a few feet away from Hiei. Out from her sleeve, she took out three kunai and threw them at him which he easily blocked. Cursing herself for her stupidity, Nightfire began blocking and counter-attacking the four Detectives' attacks with more damage to the bar than herself.

"Shadow bonds!!" Nightfire yelled as she dodged Kurama's Rose Whip and pointed to Kuwabara. Out from the darkest corners of the bar, shadows flew towards the tall boy and bound together like rope all around him. One slid around his neck and began to squeeze it.

"Kuwabara!!" Yusuke yelled and ran over to his friend just as he fell with a thump to the ground. Kurama stopped his assault on the assassin and ran over to aid him. Kuwabara was slowly turning blue in the face from lack of oxygen.

Yusuke stood up and faced Nightfire who had caught Hiei's katana blade with her two hands. He shaped his hand into a gun and pointed it at her, drawing in his spirit energy. _Hiei, I hope you're listening to me now!_ Yusuke thought. _Get out of the way!!_ "SPIRIT GUUUNNN!!" he shouted.

To Yusuke's luck, Hiei had read his thoughts, and so as the blue energy came hurtling towards the fighting demons, Hiei pushed Nightfire into the wall and jumped back.

Nightfire's eyes widened in surprise but quickly pulled herself together. She crossed her arms and braced herself for the impact.

_BOOOMMM!!_

Smoke arose everywhere and the wall the blast had hit crumbled.

"Ha!" Yusuke shouted triumphantly. But as the smoke cleared, his eyes, as also the other Spirit Detectives', widened at the sight.

Nightfire had managed to survive the blast. While all around her, the wall was crumbling down, a bit of the wall right behind her was intact. Smoke arose from her body, and her cloak was slightly torn at the arms. She slowly lowered her arms and glared deeply at the detectives. But as she took a step towards them, a deep rumble underground almost jolted them all off their feet.

"The whole place is collapsing!" Kurama yelled as the hiding demons shouted in alarm. "Everyone, we must evacuate at once!" At once, everyone started clambering for the exit.

Nightfire snapped her fingers, and instantly the shadow bonds that held Kuwabara seemed to melt off of him and retreated back to the corners from where they came from. Nightfire shot Hiei a hard glare before turning her back on him and the rest of the Spirit Detectives. She started for a corner whose shadow had returned. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Paulo still under the table he was hiding in, seeming to be stuck by a large rock that trapped his right leg.

He reached out a hand to her. His greasy hair nearly covered his fearful black eyes as he pleaded, "Please! Help me!"

Nightfire paid no attention to him. He has served his purposes, she thought.

Paulo's eyes widened in realization that the assassin would not come to his aid. He cried out as a huge chunk of the roof began to fall on him. Then a thorny whip seemed to have come out of nowhere to cut the roof part into hundreds of harmless pieces.

Kurama brought back his Rose Whip to his side and helped the demon out of his situation. "Get out of here!" he yelled over the noise, and pointed to the exit where the last stragglers of demons were climbing up the stairs.

Paulo did as he was told, though deeply resenting having to take orders from a lackey of Koenma. I _will_ have my revenge Nightfire, he thought as he climbed up the stairs after Yusuke Uremeshi and his fat oaf friend. You have not seen the last of me! Mark my words!

Hiei was stuck in a crossroads at the moment. It was either get out of the quickly crumbling building to safety, or risk a chance with his life at pursuing Yukina's kidnapper. He chose the latter.

"Hiei!! Don't do it!" Kurama yelled as he watched his friend sprint after Nightfire's retreating back.

The assassin had heard the warning, but as she turned around to defend herself, she was too slow. "Ahhhh!!" she cried out in more surprise than pain as the blade of the quick demon dug deep into her right shoulder. She coughed and felt warm liquid run from her mouth and down her chin.

Hiei applied more pressure on his weapon and slightly began to twitch the blade. He leaned forward so that his lips were close to where her ear would be if not for the hood. "Listen _onna_, and you listen well," he growled and twisted the blade more. "If any harm befalls Yukina, I will make sure tenfold of the pain you are feeling now." In one fluid motion, he slid out his katana blade out of her shoulder, and in a blink of an eye, both he and Kurama were gone.

Nightfire knew she couldn't afford any more time in the building. Putting out her will power to ignore the raging pain in her shoulder, she jumped into the shadow in the corner.

* * *

_CRASHH!!_

Both Yukina and the old demon shop keeper nearly jumped out of their skins at the loud noise coming from outside the weapon shop.

The old demon pointed a finger first at Yukina, then at the door. "Go check that out!" he ordered.

Yukina nodded, leaned the broom she had held on a nearby wall, and made her way towards the door. She looked around the small alley and gasped recognizing a familiar cloaked figure lying among the trash cans at the left of the shop. The young maiden quickly ran over to Nightfire and once again gasped, this time in concern. Her eyes were glued to the injuries and tears to the cloak Nightfire had acquired.

Nightfire stirred. When she had focused her eyes, the first thing she saw was Yukina standing in shock over her. This just isn't my day, Nightfire thought as she attempted to stand up. "Ugh!" Her wound was throbbing painfully. She placed a hand over it and then removed it to reveal it coated in bright red blood.

Yukina gasped once more at the sight and climbed over the garbage to aid her. Her efforts were rebukes from the assassin.

"Stay away from me! I don't need your help!" Nightfire growled as she pushed the girl to the side and as swiftly as she could, made her way inside the shop.

The shop keeper was startled at the heavy stomping coming his way. His cat-like eyes widened in fear seeing that Nightfire had returned.

"Where is it?" Nightfire demanded.

The old demon in a quick blink of an eye had the katana in hand and gave it over to her. "Wh-Where is my payment?" he ventured to ask as she closely examined her weapon.

Nightfire sheathed her katana and then looked at him with narrowed eyes. "You want payment?" she whispered. In a flash, she was holding him by the collar over the counter. "Your payment is to _live_!" She threw the terrified demon away from her and swung around to face Yukina. "C'mon! We are leaving!" she commanded. Yukina nodded and obediently followed. Just before she reached the door, Nightfire paused and looked over her shoulder at the demon who was being helped up by his apprentice. "If both of you know what's good for you, neither of you will tell _anyone_ that we have been here." With that, Nightfire told Yukina to hold onto her sleeve and they shadowed out of Makai.

Nightfire was never so relieved to see her home again as she and her charge stepped out of a trees shadow. She took one step but faltered. Nightfire closed her eyes and waited for knees to hit the ground, but hands suddenly held onto her arms and stopped the fall. She opened her eyes in shock and looked over her shoulder. "Why?" she asked to Yukina, who was the one holding her.

"You are hurt," was all the ice apparition could say as she slowly set the other softly to her knees.

Under her hood, a ghost of a smile touched Nightfire's features. "Hn. There are more serious things than . . . than . . ." She didn't finish because suddenly, all her strength seemed to leave her. The last thing she heard before succumbing to the darkness was Yukina's cry of alarm.


	7. Chapter 7

Nightfire slowly opened her eyes and found that her hood, more like her cloak, wasn't covering her anymore. Nor was she in the forest in front of her house, but in her room; on her ground-level bed. She turned her head at the sound of the bedroom door sliding open and saw Yukina walking towards her with a steaming bowl in her hands.

She smiled serenely down at Nightfire. "You are awake," she said pleasantly. She carefully kneeled down beside her and set the bowl of, at a better look, miso soup to the side. She made to lean over Nightfire, but once again found that she was rebuked.

"Get away from me!" Nightfire grunted and slapped the helping hands away from her. "I don't need your help!" To show that she was fine, Nightfire tried to sit up, but soon found herself biting hard on her tongue as pain shot out from her right shoulder and seemed to spread throughout her body. Leaning her back against the wall, she put her left hand towards the wound and found that her shoulder was bandaged in addition that she was no longer wearing her black fishnet shirt. She looked up at Yukina. "You . . did this?" she asked slowly, as if this kind of action of concern was so foreign from her; and it probably was.

Yukina smiled, closed her eyes happily, and nodded.

Something in Nightfire's head clicked. "Did you carry me here?" she asked hesitantly, cursing herself for being so weak as to pass out and leave her care to someone else. I never needed anyone, she thought a bit far-off from the subject.

Once again, Yukina nodded and fixed her crimson red eyes to her charge. "You were hurt," she said as simply as she had done before Nightfire had passed out.

Nightfire winced as if the girl had struck her. "But why?" she said a bit weakly. "Why would you do this for me since . . . I have taken you as a hostage?"

Yukina shook her head this time and folded her hands on her lap. "Nightfire-san," she began, Nightfire looked at her from the spot on the wall she had been previously staring at, "I am not, or at least have not, been as a hostage for you. Of course, you have not allowed me to return home or to my friends, but you have never treated me like any of the others who have taken me in the past. You did not act like those who had taken me two days ago. You may have spoken of my use in my gems, but had not actually used me for my tear gems. That," and this, Yukina smiled softly, "and I consider you as my friend for helping me heal." She indicated the red kimono that she still wore; the same that Nightfire had given to her this morning.

Nightfire looked at the maiden strangely. I'm her . . . friend. . ? Nightfire thought slowly. Why? She was only at my convenience; something, or in this case, someone to have in my hands to greatly irk the Spirit Detectives. I have never needed a friend. Why now?

Yukina took her new friend's silence to the advantage of reaching over towards the bandaged wound. She had also noticed a small cut on her other shoulder that looked to have also been caused by a sword.

Nightfire saw her hands going to her wound and instantly became defensive. "I told you already that I don't need your help!" she said.

Yukina couldn't help but smile as a stray thought crossed her mind, _Just like Hiei. They are truly alike in some ways . . ._

Nightfire had seen that smile and had read Yukina's thought. She glared at the ice apparition, now not paying heed to the gentle hands that hovered over her wound. "I am NOT like that _baka oni_!!" she said loudly. Then in an instant, Nightfire gasped as her whole body and part of Yukina's hands glowed a soft blue color. She could feel spirit energy seem to flow from the girls outstretched arms, through her fingers, and into Nightfire's wound and spread throughout her body. She could feel the throbbing pain her shoulder had been giving her up until then slowly go numb.

And then as fast as it had started, the healing stopped and Yukina let her hands drop almost limply back to her lap, her breathing a bit labored.

Though, before in the past she wouldn't have given a second thought, Nightfire found herself a little concerned about the maiden's condition. "A-Are you okay?" her voice cracked slightly as she spoke those words. What is happening to me? she wondered.

Yukina looked eye-level to her and smiled wanly, her face a little pale now. "I am alright," she said pleasantly as if what she did hadn't taken some strength, and spirit energy, from her.

Nightfire nodded skeptically before beginning to unwrap the bandages. She was surprised, yet pleased, to see that her wound had healed. Partially at least. The cut was shallow, but it would heal quickly enough considering that she had demon blood that healed her much faster than if she was human. She checked any other wounds she had received in her quarrel with the Detectives and was even more pleased that they completely healed. She looked over at Yukina who had been watching her, her breathing normal now. "It could have been better," she said with a nod.

Yukina nodded with a tint of a smile touching her lips, knowing thats as close to a compliment that shell ever get from her. She stood up now and bowed towards Nightfire. "I will leave you to eat, Nightfire-san," she excused herself before turning her back and walking quietly out the door.

Nightfire stared at the door as it slid shut then turned to the luke-warm bowl of miso soup. Taking the bowl in her hands, she shook her head at the floating pieces of tofu, her thoughts not one the food but on Yukina and her words, _I consider you as my friend. . ._ Me . . a friend? she thought as she sipped the soup. Preposterous! But good soup on her part.

In two days Nightfire healed completely. In that time, Yukina helped bring up her strength, not feeling or even looking bothered by any snide remarks on Nightfire's part on how she didn't need a "nurse".

Yet despite the scowls she'd give whenever the maiden entered the room, despite having days ago threaten not only her but her friends, Nightfire couldn't help remembering that Yukina had called her her friend. Nightfire just couldn't get why this girl would go through the trouble of even caring for her. Since when have I cared? she had thought the day after she was injured.

But eventually, by the second day, Nightfire found herself becoming a little more open; even if it was just a crack.

It was night on that second day. Nightfire, to her own surprise, had invited Yukina to sit next to her on her floor-level bed after she had eaten. Yukina confessed of wanting, no needing, to find her lost twin brother. She even showed the tear gem that was from her mother when they were birthed.

"I want to give it to him," Yukina said softly as she stared, misty-eyed, out the window above them. "I want to meet him."

Nightfire stayed silent. She didn't wear her customary cloak, and she was in her lowered-spirit energy appearance of dark brown eyes and jet black hair. It came as a surprise to Yukina to see her in this form yesterday morning, but Nightfire had explained.

_I have another form too_, she had said. _But you won't be seeing it very soon. Just know that it's slightly more powerful than this form with a much more different appearance._

Yukina looked straight at her companion now. "Do you think I'll ever find him, Nightfire-san?" she asked.

"Amaya," came the blunt and off topic reply.

"Excuse me?" Yukina asked.

The girl looked at the apparition with utmost seriousness and finality in her eyes. "My name, the real one, is Amaya. Toshi, Amaya."

It took a second for it to sink in, but eventually, Yukina's lips formed into a warm smile as she nodded.

Later on that night, while Yukina slept outside in the living room on the couch, Amaya sat on her window sill, her left leg propped up while the other hung outside, dangling. She looked up at the crescent Human World moon. She knew as Yukina took her leave earlier on that she had made her very first friend. Not an ally, who could still seem as the enemy, but a genuine friend. But what saddened Amaya, though she definitely wouldn't want to admit it, even to herself, was that as soon as she gained her new friend, she might have to lose her just as soon. She couldn't keep Yukina forever. She had other priorities to herself; her job for one, and the Spirit Detectives for another. Yukina would only weigh her down . . . and a chance for Amaya's enemies to get at her. Amaya sighed deeply and closed her eyes, letting the soft breeze that came from the forest around her home lull her to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

"But why?" Yukina asked the next morning. She stood in Amaya's bedroom, watching the other put on her cloak over a tight black shirt and matching black pants. She wore a pale blue kimono with a green sash. Her crimson red eyes looked eye-level to Amaya's blood red and black flecked eyes, the only thing that was visible under the cloak.

Amaya cocked her head slightly to the side. "Don't you _want_ to go back to your friends, the Spirit Detectives?" she asked coyly.

Yukina looked down at the sandals she wore. She did. "Can't you . . turn yourself in?" she asked timidly as they walked out of the room.

Amaya halted just inches away from the front door and Yukina did the same. There was a short pause. "I cannot do that," Amaya said shortly. The finality in her voice told Yukina not to argue anymore.

Outside, Amaya told Yukina to never tell the Detectives where she had been taken to. "You must understand," Amaya told her knowingly.

Yukina nodded.

"If I were to get captured"-Which is doubted _unlikely_, Amaya thought.-I will be immediately sentenced to death." Amaya was prepared for a protest of some sorts from Yukina, but what she got was the girl giving her a hug. Instantly she stiffened, feeling almost paralyzed. Gently, yet firmly, she pried herself out of Yukina's hold. Amayas face was expressionless, but inside she felt a mix of feelings that she quickly squashed.

Giving Yukina a tiny nod, she took out a blindfold from her cloak and covered the girl's eyes. Also taking out a piece of rope, she tied Yukina's hands before slinging her over her left shoulder and disappeared into a shadow.

* * *

In a far, shadowed corner of Koenma's office, Amaya discreetly stepped out of it with her burden over her shoulder. The office was in chaos: running ogres and scattered papers in disarray almost everywhere. The baby ruler of Spirit World sat at his great desk screaming at the top of his lungs orders to the ogres. Telling by his very red face, he looked close to a temper tantrum.

Silently, Amaya set Yukina down but didnt take off the blindfold. She reminded Yukina what to so when Koenma notices her. Yukina once again pleaded for Amaya to stay and turn herself in, but Amaya said no. She could never turn back. She began to say her final farewells when-

_Gasp!!_ A passing purple ogre had spotted both Yukina and Amaya. "N-Nightfire!!" the ogre cried out in horror. Immediately, all attention was on them.

_Damned ogre_, Amaya thought. Her plan was falling apart. Using her psychic powers, she paralyzed the ogres in their spots. "Goodbye Yukina," she whispered. Amaya tried running 

towards the two huge gold doors, but-

"BOTAN!! Get the Spirit Detectives here right _NOW_!!" shouted Koenma into the intercom.

Amaya stopped herself from opening one of the doors. She couldn't go through that way, or risk clashing with the Detectives and the Grim Reaper before she could escape. Amaya spun around to see the angry toddler staring down at her cloaked figure.

"Give yourself up Nightfire," he stated quite calmly.

Amaya gave him a venomous death glare before shouting, "Never! I will not, nor ever, give up without a fight!" Amaya suddenly blasted a wall with her psychic powers. She jumped through the new exit she created just as the doors of Koenma's office burst open. All Amaya could think about was escaping from that mayhem. Not even a few yards away into the forest that surrounded Koenma's castle, she could sense four spirit energy signatures honing in on her. Far behind her though they were, she knew they belonged to the Spirit Detectives.

Soon, she felt three of the energies grow closer. At a last attempt, she jumped up and held onto a branch, then swung up onto it, the tree's leaves obscuring her from view.

In a matter of seconds, three boys ran past the tree, Amaya's hiding place. But wait, something was wrong about that. Where was Hiei?

In a flash, Amaya had unsheathed her katana and blocked another katana that would have taken off her head.

Before her on the branch was Hiei Jaganshi once again. His crimson red eyes showed a thirst for blood, Amaya's blood, and his face spoke of inevitable death. He didn't need to see the assassin's face under the hood to know she was giving him a look that said, "Bring it on."

In one smooth movement, Amaya had jumped out of the tree and with a bust of speed, escaped away from the youkai. Soon, she found herself right next to the famed river Styx. Little clouds that were mortal spirits were crossing or waiting to cross the river. Just inches from the river, a thorny whip came from the right to wrap around her. The sharp thorns cut deep into her upper body as the whip tightened, and blood ran down slowly from her new wounds. Gritting her teeth from the pain, Amaya held a small part of the whip in her left hand, feeling the thorns dig into her palm. Instantly, the whip was on fire from her hands towards the holder, Kurama who yelped and dropped it before he could be harmed. Amaya at once conjured a fire ball and hurled it at him. Kurama couldn't dodge it and was not only burned bad at his chest, but hurtled into a tree from the impact.

Amaya was about to make a run for the river, but ducked in a split second, narrowly avoiding another beheading; this time from an orange spirit energy-made sword. She jumped up and kicked out at the person's chest, sending him flying to another tree and knocking him unconscious.

"Kuwabara!" said Kurama and ran over to aid his friend.

"Hey Nightfire!" yelled Yusuke Uremeshi, who appeared at the right where both Kurama and Kuwabara had come from. "Remember me?" he asked cockily. He pointed his gun-finger at her and drew in a portion of his spirit energy to it. "SPIRIT GUNNN!!" he shouted. A blast of blue energy came shooting towards Amaya.

Planting her feet firmly on the ground, she waited. To Yusuke and Kurama's utter amazement and shock, as the blast came towards her, Amaya caught it. It burnt her hands fiercely, burning some parts of her gloves and cloak arms, but she managed to hurtle it back to the still stunned Yusuke, catching him totally off-guard. It hit him full in the abdomen. A huge blast was heard, and when the smoke cleared, Yusuke was laying on the ground injured and unconscious as Kuwabara.

Seeing his other friend knocked out seemed to be the last nerve for Kurama. His green eyes flashing in a rage, he slowly stood up and faced Amaya. Then, so out of character to his fighting skills, he lunged at her, fist raised.

Amaya cocked an eyebrow and easily dodged; knowing Kurama couldn't focus right in his rage. He tried to back-kick her with his leg, but she grabbed it and twisted his leg hard. A crack was heard somewhere in his leg. Amaya let go, letting Kurama drop to the ground. With her katana inside its scabbard, she hit him hard on the head to knock him out.

Amaya felt exhausted as she turned towards the river Styx. She had lost a considerable amount of blood thanks to Kurama's Rose Whip. So exhausted she was that she sensed Hiei's spirit energy coming to her too late. She was pinned straight to a tree, katana at her neck menacingly, warningly.

"What did you do to Yukina?" Hiei demanded. He saw not only her eyes, but her lips as it curled into a devilish smile.

"Aww, you really do care for your little sister, eh Jaganshi?" she mocked. The danger was not making her weak with fear, but instead set her adrenaline pumping even faster. She knew he was even more mad by her comment, but if she was going to die (which to her was unlikely), she would first make him angry. "Aww, you're not going to thank me for saving her from those bad demons?" she pouted.

"Hn," he replied coldly.

Amaya sighed mockingly. "Fine then, it's your choice," she whispered.

Hiei raised an eyebrow suspiciously after this statement, but was suddenly thrown a couple of yards back by Amaya's spirit energy. He got back quickly on his feet and sheathed his katana. He threw off his cloak, and unwrapped the bandages of his right arm, revealing a black dragon tattoo. Immediately, his spirit energy skyrocketed. Black wisps of energy were soon emitting from Hiei's body and coiling around him. Underneath the white head bandana he wore, a purple glow could be seen.

Amaya knew what Hiei was about to attempt. Extending her left hand, she concentrated on gathering as much of her spirit energy that she had. Like Hiei, bands of energy were also coming from her and coiling around her body, but colored red. From both Amaya and Hiei's arms came dragons of their color.

"Dragon of the Darkness Flame!" yelled Hiei, sending his creature to Amaya.

"Dragon Inferno of the Everburning Flame!" shouted Amaya, also directing her dragon towards Hiei. In the middle, the dragons collided, both battling it out fiercely. Both Amaya and Hiei shouted orders at the dragons until a great explosion came from them. Clouds of smoke and dust filled the air. Trees were obliterated from the blast. When is cleared, both Hiei and Amaya were shocked to see the other still standing, but only barely. Each had lost a great amount of spirit energy. Clothes torn, cuts and other wounds all over their body, they tried to keep from becoming unconscious.

With great effort, Hiei unsheathed his katana as Amaya got into a defensive stance. They stood there for who knows how long, staring the other down with hatred in their eyes. Hiei took a step towards his cloaked adversary and whispered, "_Baka onna_," before falling to the ground, unconscious.

With a heavy sigh of relief, Amaya stood up straight, before she too, blacked out from exhaustion and blood loss.


	9. Chapter 9

NOTE: The use of dashes -- is for when they are talking telepathically!

* * *

"What are you going to do to her Koenma?"

"It depends . . ."

"I know this is against my honor code, but I hope she gets punished hard for what she did to my beloved Yukina!"

"Hn, shut up you buffoon. The _baka onna's_ waking up . . ."

Amaya groaned and slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry. She could only make out four blurs that seemed to surround her. Once her vision cleared, she realized the blurs were the Spirit Detectives, looking angrily down at her. Amaya made to stand up, but found herself chained to a chair. She didn't need to look around to know she was back in Koenma's office. Amaya tried this time to raise her spirit energy, but the chains seemed to be restraining her powers. Damn it, Amaya cursed.

--Don't even bother _baka_. Those are the strongest restraint chains the baby has. Even if you do miraculously break out of them, you'll have my wrath to deal with-- came a menacing voice in Amaya's head.

Amaya rolled her eyes, not caring for the threat delivered to her. Deciding to conserve her energy, she changed into her humane form, her spirit energy lowering drastically.

The boys, who had been speaking to Koenma, felt the change in their captive's spirit energy. They ceased talking and turned to her.

"Move out of the way so I may speak to her," Koenma commanded behind them. Footsteps came towards the group. A pop sound was heard right behind Yusuke and Kuwabara who were the ones standing directly in front of Amaya. They moved out of the way to reveal Koenma, but older, teenager-looking. He did not wear his customary hat. He had brown hair that brushed slightly in his also brown eyes. He still had his pacifier, but just barely seen on his forehead was a JR tattoo. Another pop was heard from him and a long list that reached to the floor appeared in his hands. Clearing his throat, he looked at Amaya straight in the eye before saying, "Amaya Toshi, but also known as the infamous assassin of Makai, Nightfire. Do you plead guilty or not guilty of the 1,622 crimes you have committed?"

"Guilty," Amaya told him with an emotionless voice. Despite the situation, she couldn't help but think, I must have been slacking off to achieve _that_ many crimes.

"Good," said Koenma. "Then I immediately order for you to be put to death. Boys, take her to the chamber," he ordered. It was quickly done as Yusuke and Kurama took off the chains that bound her and slapped cuffs on her wrists.

Amaya didn't even try to resist, knowing that this fate would have happened to her sooner or later. She felt only numbness in her. Why? That's what she would have liked answered herself. She stood up gracefully despite the injuries she still harbored, and with the Detectives, started walking slowly towards the golden doors.

"Wait," Hiei's cold voice made them halt a few feet from the doors. "I want to see the so-called 'face of death' that has been feared for these past years." The others nodded, and Koenma, who had returned to his paperwork at his desk, looked up in interest.

Amaya narrowed her eyes at Hiei. "Do not touch me," she hissed.

Hiei smirked and disappeared before her eyes.

Amaya felt a hand from behind roughly yank her hood off. Her shoulder-length, jet black hair fell into her face like a closed curtain. Collective gasps were heard all around. Amaya knew exactly what they were thinking; she didn't need to read their minds to know that they were shocked to see her real appearance.

"N-No way that could be her! S-She's beautiful!!" yelled Kuwabara. The others looked on, stunned.

Amaya rolled her eyes mentally. "Well it is _baka_," she muttered. She looked around at the stunned guys. Yusuke and Kuwabara were staring at her with mouths wide open like morons. Kurama was almost in that state, his emerald eyes wide with wonder. Amaya turned around. At his desk, Koenma in toddler-form again was close to falling off of his chair. Amaya slowly looked right in front of her to Hiei. His eyes were slightly wide too, but he was trying to look away from her. Amaya could feel her frustration grow now. "Would you all, QUIT STARING AT ME AND TAKE ME TO THE CHAMBER ALREADY?!" she yelled impatiently.

This snapped them all out of their (more or less) trances. "Uhh, yes. Boys, proceed to take the prisoner to the chamber," Koenma said with what looked like an almost apologetic look on his face.

"Yes Koenma s-" Kurama began but was interrupted by the two golden doors suddenly being slammed open. To everyone's surprise, there stood Yukina, panting as if she had run a mile.

Yukina threw her arms out wide to block the exit. "Please, don't kill Amaya-chan!" she panted.

The four boys and Koenma looked at her like she'd lost it. "Yukina, she is a convicted criminal and murderer. In addition, she had also kidnapped you and taken you hostage," Koenma reminded her gently.

"No!" Yukina cried. "That is not the truth! I know she may have done bad things in the past, but she never-"

"Yukina," Amaya cut in before she could say anymore, "I've accepted what I have done and am willing to-"

"No!" Yukina cried again. Tears began to fill her crimson red eyes and fell, becoming hard, solid gems before they hit the ground. Kuwabara immediately ran to her side and tried to comfort her, but she didn't stop. "Please," she cried, "Amaya-chan did not harm me! She had killed those demons and took me to her home to heal me! She was only bringing me back here!"

A few moments silence met with her words. Amaya's head was hung low as the others turned their attention slowly to her.

"Amaya," Koenma spoke, using her real name, "Is what Yukina saying true?"

Amaya snapped her head up and spun around to face him. "And what if it is true?" she said coldly.

More silence came until broken by Kurama. "What are we to do Koenma sir?" he inquired. Everyone's eyes were now on the toddler.

Koenma thought hard for a minute then sighed. "Amaya," he began, "I shall give you two choices. The first is to go to Spirit World jail for life. The second is to join the Spirit Detectives with the oath to not kill any of them or try to escape. If you are to choose the second, you must reform your ways, and also I shall put a barrier that keeps you from leaving Spirit World without any of the boys or my permission."

Amaya did a quick calculation of pros and cons for both situations, and in the end, staying in a dungeon with perverted demons for life didn't seem appealing to her. "I shall join your Spirit Detectives," she finally answered.

Yukina, who was now tear-free, ran for joy to her friend and surprised the girl by giving her a hug.

Amaya stiffened, but managed a tiny pat on the back before stepping out of the maiden's embrace.

"Amaya-chan! You will love being with my friends!" Yukina exclaimed.

Amaya expressionlessly nodded before turning back to Koenma. "So where is my room Diaper Boy?" She couldn't help the insult and smirked seeing the toddler puff up with indignation.

Yusuke and Kuwabara burst out laughing and even Kurama let a chuckle escape. Hiei stayed silent but was mentally smirking also. Koenma, though, was close to having a tantrum. "Don't call me that!!" he practically shrieked in his high-pitched voice. Amaya's smirk grew smug. 

"Boys, take her to the room in your quarters," Koenma huffed as he resumed stamping papers.

Everyone left the office.

"Man, did you see his face?!" Kuwabara exclaimed as they stopped outside the closed doors.

"Yeah!" agreed Yusuke. He turned to Amaya with a grin plastered on his face. "Amaya, I think you're going to fit in just fine if you continue like that!"

"Hn," Amaya replied, not really caring but still pleased with her work.

Yusuke rolled his eyes and lead the way down numerous stairways and halls. "Great, another Hiei," he muttered. Behind him, the mentioned gave him a glare.

Amaya turned to Kurama as they were walking. "Kurama," she said emotionlessly. She hesitated here for a moment, not really good at this.

"Yes?" Kurama asked patiently.

Amaya realized how naked her head was and put on her hood. "Uh, will you . .?" She lifted her cuffed wrists. It was degrading to ask him, but she needed her mind barrier so Hiei, a fellow telepath thanks to his Jagan eye, wouldn't read her thoughts.

--Like I haven't already baka-- came his voice in her head.

--Have you seen my memories?-- she demanded. If he did, she would kill him.

--Not yet-- he replied, smirking right beside her.

A loud clunk was heard as the cuffs were unlocked by Kurama. Amaya nodded her thanks and began to slowly rotate her wrists as she put up a strong mind barrier. _Baka oni_, she thought bitterly of Hiei. The thought of him going through her memories was infuriating.

Soon they reached to a corridor lined on both sides with brown plain doors.

Kurama walked towards one of the doors and turned to Amaya. "This shall be your new room Amaya," he said cheerfully. Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Yukina stepped out of the way to let her pass.

Upon entering, Amaya was greeted by as plain a looking room as her door. There was a bed, nightstand, lamp, clock, drawer, and a desk. To her left was a door that led to an adjoining bathroom. Amaya turned around and bowed her head in thanks, slightly surprising the boys.

Yusuke and Kuwabara left soon after, talking about food. Hiei was already long gone to the room at the left of Amaya's. Yukina politely said goodbye and she too left, leaving only Amaya and Kurama.

The tall boy smiled warmly down at her and showed her the doors around her room. "If you have any questions, you can ask any one of us. The room to the left is most obviously Hiei's, but I highly recommend that you should go to him as a last resort. He doesn't like people coming to his room." Kurama smiled a little wider. "But don't worry. Once he warms up to you, he's a real nice guy." At this, Amaya rolled her eyes under her hood. "The room at your right," Kurama resumed, "is Yukina's. On her other side is Boton's room, the Grim Reaper. Then across from Boton is another of our friends, then Kuwabara, my own room, and last is Yusuke's across from Hiei's."

"_Domo arigato_ Kurama," Amaya said softly with a flicker of a smile on her lips.

Kurama blushed ever so slightly at the memory of her face, but quickly excused himself since he had to make dinner. "I shall send someone to get you Amaya," he said before quickly walking out the room.

A little confused by his actions, Amaya used her psychic powers to close and lock the doors. Turning around, Amaya snapped her fingers. Instantly, her room door changed. The once bare walls were now red, and the floor and ceiling were black. Snapping her fingers again, some of her things back home were transported to her new room. Weapons were in hidden places in her room, her clothes were in the dresser at the wall opposite the bathroom door, and other things like treasures she's picked up were made up the other things she had in her room. She slowly walked over to her bed, sat Indian-position, and began to meditate, slowly recovering from her wounds.

Unbeknownst to Amaya, Hiei stood outside her window on a tree branch that grew near both of their windows. He was spying on her. Though she was keeping a vow for Koenma, Hiei still mistrusted her deeply. With her guard down, he was very much tempted to look into her memories, but she was already doing that for him.

He saw flashes, but they were enough. He saw the little girl that was Amaya waking up scared and alone in a forest in the Human World that would soon become her home. He saw flashes of her battle to survive growing up. What surprised him was when she met Genkai, Yusuke's former teacher, and learning how to train to master her powers of psychic, darkness, and fire. Then the memories switched to her job as the famed assassin Nightfire.

Hiei could almost, _almost_ figure out why Yukina, his sister, would befriend this girl. She had a quality in her, a small goodness that was hidden, that Yukina wanted to nurture and open up. But no matter, Hiei thought roughly as he jumped away from her window and into his. She is not trustworthy. No matter . . . _that she saved Yukina_. Hiei growled low as he stepped into his room. He knew he was in her debt for that, but it still didn't change anything.


	10. Chapter 10

Amaya sighed. She opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder at the window where Hiei was seconds before. That _baka oni_, she thought. Of all the other demons that that toddler has me forced to work with, it has to be him. Amaya thought back to when they first fought, three years before and smirked at the memory. It had not been pretty, but in the end not only did she escape with a precious artifact the Spirit Detectives were protecting, she had also taken Hiei Jaganshi's white headband as a small trophy of her victory.

"He does have a little temper, that fire demon," she murmured. Amaya took off her hood and laid back on her bed, arms folded under her head. She thought about her other new "team mates". Their leader who was the obviously human smelling Uremeshi, Yusuke was very full of himself but seemed to know how to have a good time. "I could get along with that as long as he doesn't get in my way." The very tall one with ugly orange hair and a face to match also smelled human: Kuwabara Kazuma, if she remembered right. Amaya remembered past fights with him, or attempts of fights, and winced horribly. "I can't believe I'm working with that! He could match Jaganshi in terrible team mate of the year!" Then there was Kurama. "Yin and Yang," Amaya murmured, thinking about the _kitsune_, or fox demon's spirit that Kurama housed within him. Wonder when I will meet him? Amaya wondered.

A knock on the door startled her out of her thoughts. She jumped off of her bed and walked over to the door. Standing on the other side of the threshold was Yukina.

"Hello Amaya-chan," she greeted the other happily. "I am here to take you to dinner."

Amaya nodded, put on her hood, and stepped outside. Locking her bedroom door, they made their way past a few haggard-looking ogres and down many stairs. Amaya was careful to remember ever step she took so as not to get lost later on.

Finally, with an angry rumble in her stomach, Amaya and Yukina entered the cafeteria. It was fairly large to accommodate the majority of Koenma's employees, mostly ogres and spies. As they walked towards the back of the cafeteria, many of the spies looked up at the cloaked figure passing their table, eyes narrowed as if they were trying to figure out who could have such a large amount of spirit energy in them.

Amaya smirked under her hood. _Bakas_, she thought. Yukina stopped in front of a large round table and Amaya did the same. Sitting at the table were Yusuke and Kuwabara, who were disgustingly pigging out on the food already, Kurama, Hiei, and Boton, the blue-haired, pink-eyed Grim Reaper. Yukina sat down an empty seat away from Hiei, and Amaya took that seat as hers. She looked to Yukina's other side where Kuwabara and Yusuke were eating their food like slobs and grimaced.

"_Bakas!_ Learn some manners and stop eating like slobs!" Hiei suddenly barked.

The two humans looked up from their plates for a second before going back to their food with renewed vigor.

"Dig in Amaya!" Boton said cheerfully and pointed at the plates of food at the center.

Amaya nodded and helped herself. She took one bite and was instantly blown away at how good the food was.

Kurama, who sat across from her, saw the look on her face. "Is there anything wrong Amaya?" he asked in concern.

She shook her head. "This is very delicious," she simply said and continued to eat. Amaya did not see the blush that crept into Kurama's cheeks but Boton and Hiei did.

After fifteen minutes of more or less useless chatter between Boton, Yukina, and Kurama (Amaya and Hiei saying nothing to them or each other), the two "pigs" slammed down their rice bowls with a satisfied, gusty sigh.

"That was the _best_ Kurama!" they both yelled at the embarrassed kitsune boy.

"Uhh, thank you Yusuke, Kuwabara," Kurama told them with a weak smile. "But next time you need to learn some table manners, and I'll be happy to show you," he offered.

Amaya stood up, abandoning her almost finished teriyaki fish with a visibly disgusted face at the two "pigs'" direction. "It is generous of you to want to help them Kurama, but no amount of lessons in table manners can help _them_." Nodding her thanks for the supper, she swept off out of the cafeteria to begin searching for her room.

Near to where Koenma's office was, a fast-moving black blur sped past Amaya. She held her hood tight over her head and glared hard at the blur. "_Yaro_ Hiei," she said darkly. She hadn't taken two steps when Hiei was suddenly back and standing in front of her.

"What did you call me?" he growled. Hiei glared menacingly at her.

Amaya wasn't fazed. "You must have heard me call you a bastard if you are back here," she retorted. "I know it was you who was outside my window before dinner Jaganshi. Frankly, I didn't think you could stalk anyone else than your sister, _Yukina_." Amaya smirked at the rising anger in Hiei's crimson red eyes, though his face was like stone.

He took a warning step towards her. "You will not tell her," he commanded. "If you dare, you shall not only have no tongue to speak, but I will also kill you."

Amaya's fists clenched at the direct threat. "I'd like to see you try to hurt me!" She pulled out her katana swiftly and blocked the blade that came at her. "We both know you are holding back!" Amaya goaded him as she pushed the blades closer to his neck. Hiei gritted his teeth and began pushing the blades back at her.

"EEENOOUUGHH!!" yelled Koenma's voice.

The two fighting demons jumped back and faced to where an angry Koenma was walking over to them at the left end of the hall. "Amaya! Didn't I make you give the oath to NOT kill any of the Spirit Detectives?!" he shouted. Then Koenma turned to Hiei who had been smirking. "And what do you think you were doing?! You were in the fight weren't you?!"

Amaya spoke up. "Technically Koenma, I was not trying to kill Hiei." Koenma spun around at her. "I was trying to _badly injure_ him," she finished with a grin under her hood. She turned to Hiei as Koenma, red in the face, began shouting at her. "_Baka yaro_," she mouthed. Hiei glared. Amaya looked back over to Koenma who was taking a breath. "I promise to try to not do it again Koenma _sir_," Amaya said mockingly. To quickly avoid anymore shouting from the toddler prince, she stepped back into a shadow on the wall and disappeared with crimson eyes glaring at her.

Amaya fell from the shadowed ceiling of her bathroom and landed smoothly on its white marbled floor. The bath tub and sink was made of black marble. It was a fairly large bathroom with the tub by on one side and the counter sink and toilet on the other. Above the long sink was an equally long mirror. Amaya took off her hood and looked at herself. She still harbored her earlier injuries from the Detectives attacks. Seemed like only yesterday when in fact it was just this morning.

Amaya sighed and looked into the drawers of the sink counter. She found a first aid kit, quickly threw off her clothes until she was only in her short shorts and tank top, and began tending her wounds. Once satisfied, she looked at herself in the mirror once again. Amaya grimaced at the shoulder-length, jet-black haired and brown-eyed girl staring back at her with a look of equal dislike. I truly hate this form, she thought. But it keeps my true form secret so I'll have to deal. Amaya snapped her fingers and was garbed in dark red sleeping clothes. She bent down and took off from her ruined clothes all the weapons she had hid. Lastly picking up her back cloak, she left the clothes behind and went into her bedroom. Putting aside her weapons at her desk, she carefully laid her cloak atop her drawer and climbed into bed. She closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Amaya woke up to the soft creaking of her bedroom door. In an instant, Amaya grabbed two shuriken she had hidden under her bed mattress and flung them at the intruder. Two satisfying _thuds_ were heard. Sitting up in her bed, Amaya's dark eyes widened to see Kurama pinned to the door, a shuriken embedded in either side of his shoulder.

"Kurama!" Amaya gasped. She threw off her covers and walked over to him. Taking off the two sharp throwing stars, she threw them on her nightstand and turned back to the apologizing kitsune.

"_Gomen nasai_ Amaya-san for intruding in your room without your permission, but I was going to wake you for breakfast," Kurama explained, blushing at his embarrassment and the concern the she-demon had as she looked over his shoulders for wounds.

Amaya found none except for tears on his shirt and straightened up to look at him with an almost annoyed expression. Seeing the rosy color on his face, she realized then how close they were and looked away so he wouldnt see the faint blush she had. "And so in your eager to get me to the cafeteria, you didn't see the need to knock first?" she asked sarcastically. She could practically feel him blush harder.

"_Gomen-_"

"There is no need to say sorry again," Amaya cut him off. She looked back up at him and noticed for the first time his brilliant emerald eyes.

Kurama's eyes traveled to her lips and considered kissing her, but quickly squashed that idea. He felt the kitsune spirit of Yoko Kurama stir inside him, and decided that he needed to leave lest the demon would want control over his body. "I shall see you in the cafeteria then," he said and quickly left without another word.

Amaya stood there for a long minute before shaking her head. "What was that about?" she muttered, a bit confused as she walked into her bathroom. She showered, and with her fire powers, dried herself off. She stepped out of her bathroom wearing only a towel and snapped her fingers. Instantly she was garbed in all black. With the reassuring weight in her clothes, which she knew were her hidden weapons, she strapped on her katana, put on her cloak, and shadowed herself to the cafeteria.

No one seemed to notice the cloak figure that stepped out of a shadow in one of the cafeteria corners. Amaya saw where the Spirit Detectives, Yukina, and Boton were sitting at and walked over to them. Ignoring the masses of pancakes, muffins, eggs, and bacon, she levitated an apple to her before she even reached the empty seat in between Yukina and Hiei. That seemed to get everyone's attention.

"Why don't you eat a more nutritious breakfast Amaya?" Kurama suggested. It was evident that he was not thinking about what happened earlier in her wake-up call.

Amaya remained standing up while nibbling on her fruit. "I must start training," she shortly replied. With that, she turned on her heel and walked over to the shadow she had come from. Amaya shadowed out of Koenma's large mansion. What she didn't know was that as soon as she had left, Hiei had disappeared from his seat, leaving behind a slightly suspicious Kurama.

Amaya stepped out of the shadow of the same tree that grew close to her and Hiei's bedroom windows. She threw the apple core to the side and was off towards the forest that almost seemed to endlessly surround the mansion. Amaya found a small clearing, big enough for her to train in, and stopped. At her right past some more trees and bushes she could see the river Styx. Walking to the middle of the grassy clearing, she sat down Indian-style and closed her eyes. Amaya pulled off her hood and began to meditate.

* * *

Hiei Jaganshi walked out of the mansion front doors and stopped at the top of the stairs, looking out at the part of Spirit World he could see. An abandoned apple core at his left near the tree that grew in front of his and Amaya's windows caught his attention. He was there in a flash. Peering down at the fruit, he turned his attention then to the forest, sensing a familiar energy. Hn, found her, he thought. He became a mere black blur now as he sped into the forest. Hiei jumped into the trees and quickly hopped in the tree branches.

He finally found a familiar cloaked figure silently meditating in the middle of a clearing. Hiei watched her in a nearby tree, concealed amid the branches and leaves. Amaya's hood was off, and as he looked on closer, the demon saw changes happening. Amaya's shoulder-length hair was turning bright red, no longer its jet black. Her lips also were turning cherry red. It was not only these more or less subtle physical changes that were happening to her, but her spirit energy level was rising. Hiei was slightly surprised, but then came the realization: Amaya must have been in her demon form, this demon form, yesterday in Koenma's office before her energy had lowered into the humane form she was in moments before. With this revelation, he was determined to fight her once more. Hiei swiftly jumped down from his hiding spot, but had no sooner landed on the ground when a fireball was aimed his way. He quickly back flipped out of the way, and a burn mark replaced where he was seconds before.

With her heightened demonic senses and spirit energy, Amaya was able to single out the familiar energy that had been watching her in a tree close by. _Hiei_, Amaya thought with a hint of anger. So the _baka_ wants to play, does he?! A shadow fell upon her and she immediately sunk into it, reappearing from the tree shadow the demon had been hiding at. "What do you want _oni_?" she asked.

Hiei turned around to face her, not in the least minding that she had disappeared before his eyes. A fire, shadow, and psychic demon, he mused silently. Looking into her suspicious eyes, he saw that they were blood red.

"Answer me _baka_," Amaya hissed impatiently.

In a split second, Hiei charged at her, katana unsheathed. A clang of metal rang through the clearing as Amaya met Hiei's blade with her own. Hiei flipped away as she swiped at him with her free hand and kept his assault going. He swung at her head to which she ducked low, leaving his torso unguarded for her to give him a clean cut. Hiei didn't even flinch as he kept his attacks going. Tiring of evading his attacks, Amaya made the mistake of misinterpreting the fist that came to her left and dodged that, only to receive a deep stab by his katana on the same exact place where he had injured her in the Makai bar. Amaya tasted a metallic liquid and spit it out, knowing it was blood. Kicking out at Hiei's chest, she back flipped as Hiei and his now bloodied katana flew feet away from her. Amaya lifted her hands high in the air and gathered her strength. The air became much more humid, and the forest plants began to slowly wilt as the water molecules in the air evaporated instantly.

In a matter of seconds, Hiei was drenched in sweat as he slowly stood up and faced Amaya. He watched with interest as tall pillars of fire on either side of her seemed to erupt from the ground and spread until it surrounded him.

Amaya smirked and lowered her arms so her open palms were facing Hiei. "Roasted demon," she said. Using her hands, she tightened the formed ring of fire around Hiei.

Hiei sheathed his katana and dug the heel of his shoe on the ground. Baring his teeth and balling his hands tightly into fists, he dashed towards a section in the ring of fire where, he knew, Amaya was behind. With a giant leap, he sped head-first through the wall of fire.

Amaya's eyes widened as she was caught by surprise in the form of a speeding, slightly burned demon-bullet full in her unguarded abdomen. She was slammed into a tree, coughing out more blood as she hit the hard bark with crushing force.

Hiei quickly jumped off of her and unsheathed his katana, putting the blade at her neck. "Hn. Seems that I'm the victor _onna_," he gloated triumphantly at the hanging headed figure.

Amaya looked up at him slowly through half-closed eyelids, her bright red hair almost covering her blood red eyes. She closed her right hand over the end of his katana blade and moved it an inch away from her neck. "Not by a long shot," she murmured.

Hiei yelped as burning heat spread from her hand to the hilt of the sword. He threw down his katana and surveyed his blistered right hand. He turned his enraged crimson red eyes to his now standing opponent. "_HN!_" he grunted.

Amaya closed her eyes all the way and leaned on what was left of the broken tree. "That was decent," she said to herself. She heard Hiei snort and opened her eyes at him. "Yes _oni_? Care to share with me as to what is so amusing?"

"Hn," Hiei responded in monotone. "You are the amusing one _onna_," he answered after a moment.

Amaya returned to her humane form and shook her head. "I am surprised that I got you to say more than 'hn' this time," she said, ignoring the glare she received from the fire demon.

"Where is your shadow form?" Hiei suddenly asked.

Amaya gave him a sidelong glance and in turn gave him a little of his own medicine, "Hn." Amaya pushed herself off from the broken tree, but in the action, was reminded about her injury on her shoulder. She hissed and put her hand over the wound, drawing away to see that her hand was covered in blood the same way as before.

Hiei had watched the spectacle silently and spoke then. "Hn, go to the hospital wing and get yourself cleaned _onna_. You look weak now."

Amaya glared at him, hearing the insult in his voice. "You look weak yourself _baka yaro_, covered in burns!" she retorted. With a quiet whisper, the shadows underneath them jumped at Hiei and instantly wrapped around him, making it hard to move.

"_Baka onna!!_" Hiei yelled as he lost balance and fell face first on the ground.

Amaya smirked widely and leaving him, began to slowly walk out of the clearing.


	12. Chapter 12

"Amaya, where is Hiei?" Kurama asked as he spotted the familiar cloaked figure walk out of the forest that surrounded Koenmas mansion. He became immediately concerned seeing new injuries on her. "Did Hiei do that to you?" he asked.

Amaya rolled her eyes at his worry. "Of course he did. Who else would it be?" she asked irritably. Halfway back, she had been attacked by the speedy demon and had to use more energy to fend him off. She was very exhausted by now.

"Where is he now?" asked Kurama. He walked down the concrete steps, towards Amaya. On closer inspection, she was limping very slightly on her left leg.

Amaya had to smirk at that point. "Let's just say that he won't be coming back that soon," she replied. Her left leg gave way to her weight, and she began to stumble. Hands out of nowhere stopped her from falling. She looked up and saw Kurama's emerald eyes looking down at her, a small smile on his face. Amaya looked down at the ground, scowling slightly from embarrassment. She stood up with his unwanted help and swatted his hands away from her. "I did not need your help," she muttered, covering her head with her hood to hide her blush.

Kurama just smiled. "Oh, but it was my pleasure to help you," he told her. He watched her start to walk up the steps without another word. His stomach seemed to do a flip when Amaya looked over her shoulder at him. Her eyes . . . Kurama sighed heavily as she turned her attention to the double glass entrance doors in front of her. His attention was drawn towards the forest in the direction Amaya had come from. Squinting against the setting sun, his eyes widened recognizing the dark gravity-defying hair that belonged to none other than Hiei.

"Hiei! Are you alright?" Kurama yelled as he ran over to his friend.

Hiei collapsed leaned heavily on a nearby tree and glared at the taller boy coming closer. "Leave me be fox if you know what's good for you," he warned him.

Kurama stopped in front of Hiei and sighed heavily. Hardheaded and stubborn like Amaya, he thought, smiling ever so slightly.

Hiei's glare turned disapproving and scornful. --I am nothing like her-- he telepathically told him, not the strength left for an open verbal reply.

Kurama cocked his head curiously to the side with his eyes looking closely at Hiei through his half-open eyelids. "What happened to you Hiei?" he asked his friend, pretending ignorance. He mentally blocked the memory of talking to Amaya moments before.

Hiei however was not fooled. --Baka. I saw you talking to the _onna_. I saw with the use of my Jagan.-- Now Hiei regarded Kurama with slight disgust in his crimson eyes. --You are growing weak, Kurama, in that human body. Love is a cripple that will become your end.--

Kurama's eyebrows shot up. "What are you implying per say?" he asked.

Hiei pushed himself off the tree and rolled his eyes. "I'm implying that you have weak feelings for the _onna_. I suggest you stop fancying her, for she will be your downfall," he said. Not once did he break the monotone of his voice.

Kurama had the grace to blush at his friend's statement but would not be cowed. "What do you have against Amaya so much?" Kurama inquired. He began matching step for step with Hiei as they walked towards the mansion entrance.

Hiei stuck his hands deep in the pockets of his cloak and "hn"ed. There was no point in reasoning with him, he thought. Yet, the thought of Kurama having feelings, though human, for Amaya tugged ever so slightly at the back of Hiei's head. Hiei growled low and quickly crossed off that last thought. He was not turning into a weakling like Kurama is! Love is for fools who find only more pain and suffering from it, he thought as he pushed open one of the glass doors.

Kurama was close behind and quietly closed the door. "I think you should go to the hospital wing to get healed Hiei," Kurama told the shorter demon out of concern.

"Hn. I do not need any healing," Hiei said stubbornly. He looked over his shoulder at Kurama. "Just leave me be. Why don't you go lick the wounds of the _baka onna_?" he muttered the last part scathingly. Even as the words left his mouth, he knew he could not take them back.

Kurama stopped in his tracks, wide-eyed. His right hand slowly curled into a fist, but being the gentleman that he was, he kept his calm. "Well, seeing that it is futile to talk to you or even convince you to get yourself healed, I guess I shall ask Koenma if I could visit Mother in the Human World. Goodbye Hiei," Kurama told him coolly. Without a response that he was sure Hiei would never give, Kurama turned around and walked away.

Hiei kept his back towards the kitsune and began walking again, more slowly this time. Hiei thought back to what he had said to Kurama. What had prompted him to say that? _Why don't you go lick the wounds of the baka onna?_ Just thinking about the fox demon tending to Amaya-_caring_ for her-seemed to make Hiei's insides writhe like angry snakes in a way he never felt before. What was happening to him? he thought.

So deep in his thoughts that he realized a little too late where his feet had taken him: in front of the double steel hospital wing doors. Hiei's crimson eyes widened ever so slightly before he glowered at the doors. He snapped his head away to be reminded painfully of his injuries. Hiei dug his hands deeper into his pockets and scowled. He disappeared in a black blur, and the double steel doors slammed open and shut in a second after.


	13. Chapter 13

Early morning the next day, Amaya sat on the tree branch that jutted in front of her bedroom window, watching the forest scenery. She sighed softly, wondering how long this little piece of quiet will last. Then at that moment, the glass entrance doors of the mansion burst open, and Boton, the perky Grim Reaper, quickly ran out holding a large wooden oar. Amaya sighed again, this time in slight annoyance. I must be psychic, she thought and pulled her hood up. She watched with dark brown eyes as the Grim Reaper stop for a moment and look around frantically, searching for something. As her pink eyes looked at the tree by the mansion, directly at Amaya, the perky deity smiled widely and clapped her hands in happiness of her discovery.

"Amaya!" she yelled happily. Boton jumped on her oar and flew over to where the demoness sat aloofly on the branch. She came to a stop, mid-air, in front of her. At once Boton began to talk away. "Prince Koenma has a mission for you and the rest of the Spirit Detectives! He wants you all at his office right away!" she said professionally.

Amaya stared at her emotionlessly. She was slightly miffed at being referred to as part of the toddler's Detectives. "And what am I supposed to do per say?" she half asked, half demanded tonelessly.

Botons smile went down a notch or two and she scratched her head with a nervous smile. She was now slightly unnerved that she was alone with a demon that had just been called Nightfire roughly two days ago. She responded in a hesitated voice, "Umm, I, uhh, think that you should report to Koenmas right now. I will go"-Boton seemed to regain her composure and lost smile notches now-"I will go get the boys!" she exclaimed. With a wave to Amaya, she zoomed up in the air before diving hazardously straight into Hiei's bedroom window in her attempt to quickly get away, not only breaking the window itself, but getting most viciously angry threats from Hiei.

Amaya smirked. And I didn't even break a sweat, she thought. Amaya stood up on the branch, and then jumped off to melt into the trees shadow below.

* * *

"What do you want _now_ Koenma?!" Yusuke groaned as he, Kuwabara, Kurama, and lastly Hiei walked into the toddler's office. "And couldn't it wait until it is _at least_ noon?!" Yusuke continued to gripe, working up to a bad mood. It was nearly eight o clock in the morning and definitely not the time he would ever want to wake up. Especially to one of Boton's hyper, let's-throw-water-on-Yusuke, wake up calls.

Kuwabara yawned widely and looked around. "Uhh hey, wheres Night - I mean, Amaya?" he asked.

"I'm here," came Amaya's voice from behind the group. She was leaning on the two great golden doors, watching everyone with her dark eyes. She looked up at Koenma who sat at his desk surrounded by stacks of paper. "What is it that you have to call upon me?" she half demanded.

"Hey! I asked him first!" Yusuke yelled. He turned to his baby boss and asked him almost about the same question.

Koenma sighed heavily knowing how much they all, particularly Yusuke and Amaya, are going to hate him soon. "I have received word that a human managed to stumble into Makai," he said. "I want you to find that person and bring them here."

Amaya closed her eyes a moment to restrain herself from taking her katana and smiting the toddler before her. Opening her eyes, she asked, "Couldn't you have left that to Mukuro to find the human?"

"Mookoo-who?" Kuwabara asked in confusion. Yusuke was equally confused. Hiei and Kurama, being demons, knew who she was talking about.

"Mukuro is one of the three rulers of Makai," Kurama explained. "Mukuro has a duty to Lord Enma to find any humans that come into the Makai and return them back to Human World."

Yusuke, understanding, turns back to Koenma now more annoyed than before. "Why the hell are we taking care of this when it's that Mukuro guys job?!" he yelled.

"Because I thought you would want this particular 'rescue mission'," Koenma replied.

"Hn. Let's get this over with so I don't have to hear the two _bakas_ whining any further," Hiei replied. Yusuke glared at the short demon.

"You are the _baka, oni_," Amaya countered, her right eye twitching ever so slightly in irritation.

"Okay!!" Koenma shouted to get the attention back at him. He took his remote from the desk drawer and clicked one of its buttons. A black portal opened up to the left of his desk. Kuwabara puffed up his chest and took a step towards it, but Koenma held a hand up. "Uh uh uhh, Kuwabara. There are some _precautions_ that have to be taken care of before I send you into the Makai," Koenma told him.

Kuwabara shouted, "What precautions?! I, the Great Kazuma, know I am strong enough to defeat any enemies that cross our path!"

It seemed like everyone down to Jorge the purple ogre sighed in the tall boy's stupidity.

"_Baka_. He means for _you_ to take precautions on account of _me_," Amaya sneered in irritation to his idiocy and to Koenma's minor worries. I made a damn oath for Yama's sakes! she thought resentfully. She felt a small push on her mind barrier and mentally pushed the intruder away. _Baka_ Hiei.

Koenma nodded solemnly and silenced Kurama as he opened his mouth to protest. "That is true." He looked straight at Amaya as did everyone else. "Though you have given me an oath, it is very necessary that I still take certain precautions. It is not a big one," he added to lighten the mood and to hopefully lighten the glare Amaya gave under her hood. No such luck. If anything, the glare turned raged. "Uhh. ." Koenma set his remote down and seeming like out of thin air, he then held a thin rectangle jewelry box. He threw it to Amaya who used her telepathy to stop it in front of her. Using her telepathy, she concentrated and opened the box. Amaya's dark brown eyes flashed for a moment red in anger as the jewelry box dropped and a black necklace was left suspended in air.

"I am no dog _baka yaro_," Amaya seethed.

Yusuke scratched his head. "What's the problem?" he asked. "It's only a necklace."

"That is no ordinary necklace Yusuke," Kurama said quietly, feeling a mixture of sadness at Amaya's situation and irritation at Koenma's distrust. On closer inspection, the necklace was made of thick leather, more like a collar. Not only that, but along the thick band was a row of metal spikes as sharp as the thorns on Kurama's Rose Whip.

"I will NOT wear it!" Amaya said loudly, staring the baby prince down.

But Koenma would not be cowed, though at that moment he would have liked nothing more than to wet his diaper at the fire in the demoness' eyes. "That is not an option," he said more bravely than he felt. "You are to wear it or I will send you directly to Spirit World Jail for lack of cooperation."

Amaya's eyes turned blood red and her rage boiled deep inside her. The stupidity of it all! she silently fumed. She loathingly obeyed and carefully secured the collar around her slender neck. The cool metal touch sent goosebumps from her shoulders, down her arms. She glared at Koenma. "It's on, so let's get the hell out of here," she said.

"One more thing." Koenma produced three key chains. Hanging at the end of the chains were mini remotes with two buttons on them, one red and one blue. These he threw to Yusuke, Kurama, and Hiei.

"Hey! How come I don't get one!" Kuwabara demanded. He was instantly smacked upside the head by Yusuke.

Ignoring Kuwabara's complaint, Koenma looked at each of the other three boys. "These remotes are to help you if you shall have _problems_ while finding the human in Makai," he told them.

Amaya's red eyes narrowed. Of course. The problem would most highly be me.

"Hn. Just spit it out already so we can get on with this mission," Hiei grunted as he played with the keychain.

Kuwabara walked over to Yusuke and pushed the red button on the keychain.

Instantly, Amaya screamed out in pain and clutched onto the collar. She held back another scream as her hands, before they had reached the spikes, become instantly burned by electrocution. Her whole body rocked with pain as the bolts surged from the spikes and all over her body. She let out another scream.

Kurama turned at Kuwabara and ran at him. "Kuwabara, let go of that button!" he yelled frantically. Kurama pushed his big friend away. Kuwabara let go of the button, and the remote dropped to the floor.

In a second, Amaya's torture was gone and she was left breathing heavily with faint smoke coming from her body. She spun at the orange haired human and growled menacingly. "I shall kill you!" she yelled and unsheathed her katana. Kuwabara yelled out in fear as she advanced towards him. Acting quickly, Hiei was in front of him and blocked a swift attack that would have taken Kuwabara's head off.

"ENOOUGHH!!" Koenma screeched and pounded his desk for order. Everyone but Amaya turned to him. Amaya looked over Hiei's left shoulder towards Kuwabara. She slowly raised her free hand and made a slicing motion in front of her throat. Kuwabara gulped.

Koenma cleared his throat as if to sweep away what just happened. "As I was going to say and that all of you have now seen, that red button instantly shocks the wearer. The longer the button is held, the more the voltage increases. The blue button is only of dire emergencies like for example you lose the wearer. That button opens up a holographic map and the location of the collar."

"NOW can we go?!" Yusuke shouted in aggravation. This was definitely NOT a good way to start the morning.

Koenma nodded and gestured to the portal. Boton, who had been watching everything on the other side of Koenma's desk, waved goodbye to the party, one of which was glaring at her boss in loathing, and wished them good luck. As the portal closed behind the last person, Amaya, she turned to Koenma. "Why do you not trust her Koenma-san?" she asked the toddler. "She has given you an oath had she not?"

Koenma stared hard at the spot where the more or less ex-fugitive disappeared with his Spirit Detectives. He turned to the Grim Reaper and spoke to her very seriously. "I have many reasons not to trust her Boton. You must be reminded that she was just two days ago labeled Nightfire, the most feared assassin of the Makai. Those kinds of things can't and won't be forgotten that easily."


	14. Chapter 14

"Amaya, _urusai!!_" Yusuke shouted at the back of the cloaked demon walking in front of him. She had been fuming quite loudly for a solid hour about Koenma's lack of faith in her. In that time, they had been fruitlessly trying to find the missing human. Yusuke's patience with both Amaya and looking for the human was wearing very thin.

Kurama and Kuwabara stopped mid-step, and Hiei jumped down from the tree he had been in above them as Amaya spun around to face Yusuke. "You _dare_ tell me to 'shut up'?" she whispered, eyes blazing. "I have given that child my _sworn oath_ to not only to not kill any of you, to not to try to escape, but also not to try to leave Spirit World without any of your permissions!" Amaya breathed heavily, thoughts of mayhem, murder, and defiance flashed through her mind so that her eyes began to change blood red.

Kurama stepped towards her quietly and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I know that Koenma has done you wrong," he spoke softly, soothingly to her, "but you can change his opinion of you by proving him wrong."

Amaya's breathing slowed down. Without looking at Kurama, she roughly shrugged off his hand. Turning on her heels, she quickly walked off into the forest alone.

Behind Kurama, Hiei stood close enough to the tree he had been on ago so that its shadow fell on the better half of his face. He smirked sensing the disappointment and hurt radiating off the kitsune demon.

Kurama looked off for a moment where the hooded demon had walked off to before turning to the rest of the Detectives. "I propose that we split up so to cover more ground," he suggested. The others nodded in agreement."Yusuke and Kuwabara, you two shall continue the path we had been originally going on." The two humans nodded. Kurama turned to Hiei. "Hiei, you and I shall first find Amaya, and then we three can start our search from wherever we find her." Hiei nodded and stepped away from the tree, stone-faced.

"If any of you guys find the human, call the others with your communicator," Yusuke added and held up the pink compact he had. Kurama and Hiei had their own. Kuwabara and Amaya had not been given one because Kuwabara would have lost his and nobody had thought of giving Amaya one.

They all split up: the two human boys continuing the original path, and the other two demon boys going the same path their fifth comrade had gone.

* * *

Amaya slowed down, her initial anger wearing off. She was still frustrated though. Frustrated at Koenma for making her like a prisoner, at Kurama who was affecting her in ways she had not felt before, and at herself for becoming weak with these unrecognizable feelings she couldn't control. I cannot become weak! she thought. She stopped nearby two trees that seemed to be growing out of each other and closed her eyes.

Amaya frowned now as she heard, or not heard, the missing sounds of three people behind her, and the soft swishes of a quick demon in the trees. She opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder. Great. Just great, she thought. I've lost them all. Amaya fully turned around and crossed her arms over her full chest, thinking hard. Should I go find them? she asked herself. "No," she said softly. "This could be my chance to prove that I am trustworthy. I could find the human by myself!" Frankly, she had been bored wandering around the Makai forest for a whole hour looking for the human.

Amaya lifted her left hand and gently touched a spike on the collar she wore. How was she to get rid of it so that there would be no repeats of what happened in the child ruler's office? As soon as she had latched the collar around her neck, the buckle had seemingly melted into the thick leather with no trace. How to take it off?

* * *

Yusuke and Kuwabara were arguing in loud voices, faces red and fists up. They were stuck at a fork in the road. Yusuke wanted to take the right path, but Kuwabara wanted to take the left path.

"Look ya big moron! I'm the leader so _I _say we go right!!" Yusuke yelled and jabbed his index finger towards the direction.

Kuwabara grabbed his friend by the collar. "I am NOT a moron!" he shouted. "And I say we go left!" Kuwabara looked over Yusuke's shoulder and his beetle black eyes widened in horror. He let his jelled-haired buddy go and pointed over his shoulder. "Uremeshi! Look out behind you!!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Yusuke asked and turned around. His eyes widened in surprise to see a seven foot one-eyed troll in front of him with a large club roughly the size of Kurama in his hand. The troll swung at the green wearing teen, and Yusuke jumped back to avoid the club.

The troll began to speak in a deep rumbling voice, "Where is she? Where is the human?!" He had moss green skin and dirt brown hair. The troll took a big whiff of air and then fixed its small black eyes on the two boys below. "I smell more human," it said. The troll grinned. "More human for tummy!"

Kuwabara yelled in fright. "I don't want to be eaten!!" he screamed.

Yusuke hit his friend over the back of the head. "Kuwabara!" he yelled. "Quit whining and help me kick this ugly brute's ass!" Yusuke positioned his hand in the shape of a gun and pointed his index finger at the troll. "Spirit Gunnn!!"

* * *

"Hn. This search for the _onna_ is useless," Hiei grunted as he waited for Kurama to appear around the bushes in front of him. They had been looking for Amaya for nearly half an hour already and the Makai sun was high above to signal the afternoon. Neither Hiei nor Kurama had been speaking much to each other, but they haven't ever since yesterday late afternoon.

Kurama now walked out of the bushes, his emerald eyes shining with his determination to find the cloaked demon. Near enough to Hiei, a ringing sound coming from Kuramas pocket shattered the dark forest's noises. Kurama took out the pink make up compact and opened it. The screen inside turned on and Yusuke and Kuwabara's faces showed.

"What is wrong Yusuke?" Kurama asked into the compact.

"Kurama. We just ran into a demon," Yusuke explained. "He said he was after the human. The human is a girl, okay?"

"Did the demon tell you that?"

"Yeah," Yusuke answered. "We're going to continue on, so call us if you find her, okay?"

"Yeah! So I say we go left!!" came Kuwabra's voice.

Yusuke's head looked off towards the right. "We're going right you _baka yaro!!_"

Kurama left the two yelling on the other side of the connection and closed the communicator. He turned to the silent Hiei. "I guess we should get a move on," Kurama half sighed. Not only have we not found Amaya yet, but we still need to find the human, a girl, he thought.

Hiei did not "hn" like he would have normally done, but took out the key chain from the left pocket of his cape. He held out the remote control for the collar Amaya wore and pressed the blue button.

Of course, Kurama thought, blushing slightly for his forgetfulness.

A holographic map transmitted from the blue button, showing them their location and the area of the forest. "Hn, found her," Hiei said and pointed with his other hand to the red dot that stayed at one part of the map, almost fifteen yards from where they were according to the map. Hiei let go of the button and pocketed the key chain again. He turned to the kitsune demon. "Let's get a move on," he ordered.

Kurama didn't move. "Hiei," he began, but Hiei put his hand up to stop him.

"Don't say it Kurama. I know you have weak feelings for her, and you don't have to apologize for yesterday," he said, as if he was not the one at fault but Kurama.

Kurama sighed in relief and smiled. "Thank you Hiei. I know you don't understand why I like Amaya, but as long as you and I are still friends . . Well, that's all that matters to me anyhow."

Hiei gave no indication that he heard the last part and began to walk in the direction where the red dot had been on the map. Kurama walked quickly to catch up.

Hiei's thoughts were in a jumble. He was more or less relieved that Kurama spoke when he did, yet hearing the kitsune openly declare that he had feelings for Amaya stung Hiei in a way he never felt before. What reason could there be for him to have these feelings? Unless . . .

* * *

Amaya took off her hood, and her jet black hair fell around her shoulders, some onto her face. She closed her eyes and tilted her head slowly towards the left, leaving the right side of her neck exposed. She cautiously slid the index and middle fingers of her right hand under the collar and began to explore the under part of the leather. She opened her eyes once her fingers felt, near the back of her neck where the latch had disappeared, an inner latch.

Bingo, Amaya thought. With her left hand, she reached into her cloak and took out a kunai, a throwing knife. Pushing her short, shoulder length hair out of the way, she deftly lifted the collar high enough to insert the sharp point of the kunai underneath the leather. Her tongue slightly stuck out of the right side of her mouth in concentration as she worked as carefully as possible. Five minutes later, she heard a very satisfying click and the collar dropped forward free off of her neck. Amaya put the kunai back in her cloak and massaged her neck, rotating it. Letting her hands drop to her sides, she looked down at the collar in disgust and kicked at it hard, sending it flying to a nearby tree. It fell to the ground, intact and still in the same condition.

Amaya scowled at it and turned her back on the insulting thing, her goal changed. I need to find that human, she thought. If I know anything of them now, I'm sure two of the Detectives are trying to find me, while the other two are trying to find the human. Amaya closed her eyes once more, and her spirit energy began so soar. Her senses heightened farther than in her fire form. Amaya opened her eyes and smirked, now in her most powerful form. It only took her another second to locate the human. "Look out, look out, wherever you are human," Amaya whispered softly. "Because _Nightfire_ is going to find _you_." Amaya covered her head and walked into a tree shadow and disappeared.


	15. Chapter 15

"Hn. We're too late." Hiei and Kurama looked down at the tree in front of them. At the base of the trunk was a leather collar laying uselessly in the dirt. It was the same collar Amaya had been given and had worn.

Kurama sighed heavily and looked around the area they were in. He could still sense Amaya's faint spirit energy still lingering around, but he sensed a more powerful one too. Kurama turned to his companion. With one look that he shared with Hiei, Kurama knew that Hiei also sensed the trace of powerful energy. "Do you think that whoever's energy may have somehow overcome Amaya?" Kurama voiced both of their silent questions in tones of concern.

Hiei shrugged with a careless ease, as if that was not his problem, but inside, he was very unnerved. Where can that _onna_ have gotten to? he wondered as he stooped down. He picked up the collar and tucked it into his cape.

Kurama took this time to assess the situation. They had no clue where Amaya was thanks to the loss of her collar. They were not even close to finding the human. Only Yama knows how Yusuke and Kuwabara are doing with that, Kurama thought as he and Hiei once again began their search for their lost comrade.

* * *

Yusuke and Kuwabara, however, were still arguing at the fork in the road. The body of the dead, one-eyed, troll demon lay to the far left.

"Look! Why don't we just flip a damn coin!!" Yusuke yelled, fed up with the argument and close to kicking his friend's ass.

"Do you think I have one Uremeshi?!" Kuwabara squawked.

"Check your pocket!"

Kuwabara angrily stuffed his hands in his blue pants pocket and began to search inside. A moment later, his face lightened into a grin and he pulled out from his right pocket a silver coin. "I got one!" he yelled happily.

Yusuke snatched the coin from Kuwabara's hand and smacked him hard up the side of the head, sending him sprawling. "You idiot! I told you you had one!"

Kuwabara stepped up closer, rubbing his head. "Yeah, yeah. Just flip the coin! I wanna get out of here!"

"Call it," Yusuke ordered and he flipped the coin high in the air.

"Heads!" Kuwabara yelled. Both eyes were fixed on the coin as it landed in the ground. Head. Kuwabara pumped his fist in the air in triumph and yelled out in victory. "Heads Uremeshi! Ha!!"

"_Urusai!_ Just come on!" Yusuke grumbled. He stuffed his hands deep in his pockets and led the way down the left path with Kuwabara gloating behind.

* * *

In a dark part of the vast forest, a figure ran zigzags through the trees. The figure wore a long blue skirt and a matching sailor top with a yellow scarf around the figure's neck. The figure itself was a teenage girl with very short, choppy brown hair that barely reached her shoulders and frightened looking brown eyes. Her breathing was coming out in short breaths as her heart tried to keep up with pumping oxygen to her blood system as she ran. Feet in front of this teen girl was a brown furred kitten running away. On top of its small head was a small patch of black fur. The two small gold bells that hung on a string around its neck tinkled with every step it took.

"Eikitchi!" the girl panted as she pushed herself to get closer to the cat. She was very scared right now. Where the hell was she? This couldn't be the Makai!

The cat, Eikitchi, was also scared. He darted to the left of a tree in front of him, but yelped as he was lifted off the ground by the scruff of his neck. Eikitchi pawed out into the air to scratch his captor in vain. A dark, feminine chuckled reached his delicate ears, so cold a laugh that the fur on his skin stuck up in all directions. He was turned around to face his captor. Eikitchi showed his tiny incisor teeth as he hissed at the blood red eyes with black flecks in them.

Amaya cocked her hooded head to the side as if taunting the little creature she just captured. "Pretty, pretty thing you are," she cooed and chuckled once again.

"Eikitchi!" yelled another feminine voice. This one sounded frantic. "Eikitchi! Where are you?!"

Amaya smiled slowly. She looked closer at the kitten in her left hand and said, "Thank you little _neko_. You just saved me some trouble of searching the entire forest for the human." The cat hissed half in anger, half in fear.

The teen girl came to a stop in front of the tree she swore she saw Eikitchi disappear behind. She brushed away her damp bangs away from her face and cupped her hands around her mouth. "Eiiikitchiii!!" she yelled. Her voice echoed throughout the lonely, dark forest and sent chills going up her spine. Her heavy breathing was at first the only sound she could hear, and it scared her slightly. What could have happened to him? she wondered as she turned her back on the tree where he had vanished from. A twig snapped behind her and the girl spun back to face the tree. She took a few steps back cautiously. "Who-Who is it?" she asked, voice trembling ever so slightly. The girl swallowed. "Is that you, Eikitchi?"

"Oh, so _that's_ what its name is," came a cold female voice from behind the tree. Amaya stepped out from behind the tree with the small kitten still being held by its scruff. She smirked at the human, though a part of her was very much annoyed that the human was at least half a foot taller than her, almost three inches shorter than Yusuke. "Though frankly to tell you the truth, I'm not a cat person."

The girl took a step back, intimidated by this short cloaked figure. Yet it seemed to be taller than it really was. "Who are you?" the girl asked bravely. Her brown eyes landed on the kitten and widened. "Eikitchi!" she yelled.

Amaya's smirk grew as she brought the cat close enough to her face so it would not scratch her. "Ahhh yes. The _neko_. Very precious isn't it?" she commented. The cat hissed.

"Give him to me!" the girl half demanded, half pleaded.

"And let that baby yell at me for letting you become food for preying demons?" Amaya said in monotone. "Hell no, _onna_."

The girl blinked as if struck across the face. "You know Koenma?" she asked.

Amaya tossed the kitten carelessly to the girl and crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes," she said shortly. Amaya concentrated on her energy, and instantly it dropped.

The girl cradled Eikitchi close to her and took a step closer to the figure. She watched as the figure took off the hoof of her cloak. Her eyes widened in surprise to see the head of a pretty girl, shoulder-length jet black hair and dark brown eyes looking back at her. To believe that the hostile and almost cynical sounding voice she heard belonged to this girl.

--I am no ordinary girl-- came the same voice in the girl's head. --Looks can be very deceiving. Remember that _onna_--

The girl was very startled at the voice and looked at the person with assessing eyes. Could she really trust this person? Would she just be lying about knowing Koenma? But before she could make up her mind, everything suddenly turned black.

Amaya stood behind the girl and watched without any remorse in her eyes as she struck the girl hard on the back of her head with her fist. She watched as the human lost consciousness and fell in a heap at her feet. The kitten landed on its feet, turned to Amaya and began to hiss at her again. Amaya glared at the cat. "_Baka neko_," she said. With a snap of her fingers, shadows from the trees shot out at the kitten and bound themselves like ropes around it. The kitten fell on its side, its paws bound and its mouth covered by a shadow to keep it from making a sound. Amaya stooped down and carefully picked up the human, wrinkling her nose at the human stench all over the girl as it also perceived both Yusuke and Kuwabara. The girl's head lolled and her limbs swayed slightly as Amaya stood straight up. Using her telepathic powers, she floated the kitten towards her, and with her two burdens, she stepped into a shadow and disappeared.

* * *

Kurama's pocket began to beep loudly, and he stopped. Hiei jumped out of the tree he had been in as Kurama closed the pink compact with a confused expression all over his facial features.

"Hn. What?" Hiei demanded.

Kurama slowly put away the communicator. "That was Yusuke," Kurama slowly said. "He said . . that Amaya had found the human and that we are to report back to Koenma's office right away."

Hiei's crimson eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise. "What?" he demanded again, as if not have heard right. Yet to his left a portal was opening. That _baka onna_, Hiei thought as he and Kurama stepped into the portal. What the hell is going on?

"What the hell is going on Koenma?!" Yusuke demanded as a portal opened from behind him and Kuwabara, admitting Kurama and Hiei in the prince's office. For once, the huge room was empty except for Koenma himself, Boton, and the Spirit Detectives minus Amaya and the human.

Koenma placed his toddler hands on the desk top and leaned back on the great chair he sat on. "Amaya brought back the human," he repeated to the head Detective since first telling him on the small communicator.

"Where is the _onna_?" Hiei, surprisingly or not, posed the question. His face betrayed nothing of his feelings. Kurama looked at him at the corner of his eyes as if seeing something no one else could see.

"I'm right here."

Everyone turned to the open golden doors where two people stood, Amaya and the human girl; the latter was holding the tiny brown kitten in her hands.

"Eikitchi!!" Kuwabara exclaimed and ran over to the teen girl in a split second. He grabbed the kitten and hugged it close. "Oh Eikitchi! Did the bad, scary, mean Amaya hurt you?!"

"Excuse me?" Amaya demanded. She watched with disgust as the tall ugly male teen cuddled with "Eikitchi." "I did not harm one hair on that _baka neko_."

"Keiko?! What the hell!! _You_ are the human we were looking for?!" Yusuke exclaimed before Kuwabara could speak back to Amaya. The jelled teen was in an instant in the other girl's face and was fussing over her.

Amaya raised an eyebrow at the Spirit Detective's show of overprotective behavior. He obviously had strong feelings for the girl Kay-ko. Feelings that right now made him look like a fool. And this, ladies and demons, Amaya thought sarcastically, is what having human feelings do to you.

--Hn. You got that right onna-- a familiar deep monotone voice said in her head.

Amaya turned her head away from Kuwabara and Eikitchi and locked her angry dark brown eyes with Hiei's bemused crimson orbs. --_Baka oni_-- Amaya telepathically retorted. Her fists clenched in indignation as she noticed the briefest flicker of a smile to ever appear on Hiei's face before disappearing. Yet his eyes held the smile that his mouth could not. This angered Amaya further. --One day I shall kill you Jaganshi!-- Amaya vowed venomously. Then, a thought crossed her mind and now both demons' demeanors changed: Amaya was now the amused one, and Hiei harbored the hate.

Amaya unclenched her fists, crossed her arms over her chest, and smirked, tossing her short hair over her shoulders in a proud gesture. --What Jaganshi? Can't take it that I, on my very first mission with the so called "famed" Spirit Detectives, found the missing human before any of you?--  
Hiei's eyes narrowed and he "hn"ed, looking like he had a bad case of lock-jaw.

--I thought as much Jaganshi-- Amaya told him to infuriate him further.

"Amaya?" Kurama's voice shattered the psychic connection Amaya and Hiei shared.

Blocking Hiei out of her mind, Amaya looked calmly over to Kurama. "Yes?" she asked, as if she were a gracious host tending to a guest.

Kurama looked hard at her a moment, his emerald green eyes dark as if having seen something he was very displeased with. And then in another second, that look in his eyes was gone, and his face looked more welcoming and warm. "Oh nothing, Amaya," he said pleasantly, a small smile lighting his features. "I seemed to have forgotten my question."

Amaya frowned slightly, yet nodded.

Hiei side glanced at the taller red head boy, then to Amaya, before turning his head completely away from them.

"Keiko, would you tell us what happened to you and Kuwabara's cat?" Koenma posed the question at that moment.

Eyes were on the girl. Keiko nodded and moved away from Yusuke to face the toddler. "Well, Kuwabara had asked me to take care of Eikitchi for him while he helped out Yusuke," she began. "Eikitchi ran away from me a while back. I chased him into a park, and, well, I don't really know what happened then. All I know is that we landed in that forest that she"-Keiko pointed towards Amaya-"brought us back from."

Koenma thought for a moment before answering, "Keiko, what most likely have happened is that you and Kuwabara's cat-"

"He has a name and it is Eikitchi!!" Kuwabara interrupted loudly.

"Kuwabara be quiet!" Yusuke yelled. At once the two were in a fight on the ground at Keiko and Amaya's feet.

"As I was saying," Koenma continued in louder tones over the yells and scuffling, "you both must have fallen into a portal and turned up in a very dangerous and remote part of the Makai."

Keiko's eyes widened in shock. "So what that greasy-haired demon told me was true," she said to herself.

Amaya's interest, having momentarily drifted during Koenma's banter, was brought back at these words. "What greasy-haired demon?" she demanded. It couldn't be Paulo, she thought. I left that fool to die. "What did he look like?"

Keiko blinked. "He had greasy hair and these creepy empty black eyes," she replied.

"Damn," Amaya swore. The bastard had lived after all.

Koenma looked closely at the demoness. "Is there a problem you would want to _tell _us Amaya?" Koenma asked, with heavy emphasis on "tell."

Amaya looked up at him, her face now a blank mask, devoid of emotion. "No Koenma. There is no problem at all," she told him. She looked around at the room before looking back up at him. "And if it's no trouble at all in _your_ part, I shall take my leave to my room." Not even waiting for an answer, she turned around and was out the door in a blink of an eye.

There was a short silence after her abrupt departure. Kurama seemed to be in deep thought. Keiko's description had clicked somewhere in the back of his mind; like there was something, or someone, he was forgetting. And Amaya obviously knew this demon, Kurama pondered.

Koenma seemed to have similar thoughts. He settled back into the great seat he sat on and closed his eyes. "Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei," he said, eyes still closed. "I want you all to keep a very close eye on her." He snapped his eyes open and silenced Kurama, who was about to protest in Amaya's absent defense, with a sharp look. "I cannot afford to take any chances based on her oath Kurama," Koenma replied. "You are all dismissed."


	16. Chapter 16

Amaya sat at her open window, looking out into the never-changing daylight of Spirit World. The numbers on her electric alarm clock by her bed flashed seven-thirty six in the evening. Amaya was not, however, paying attention to the meaningless scene outside her window. She was lost in thought at the revelation that Paulo, her ex-informer, was still alive. Amaya's eyes were looking off into the distance in the forest where the river Styx was, thinking.

Could that weak demon be a potential threat to me? Amaya thought as she rested her head back on the side of the window. She closed her dark brown eyes. Though part of her told her that he wasn't, the other part of her wanted to hunt him down now. Who knows what he could be up to? She resented Koenma's prohibition from leaving Spirit World without permission at that moment. _Baka_ baby. Doesn't even think I can be trusted, period; setting the damn Spirit Detectives to watch my every move.

"Isn't that right _baka_?" Amaya calmly said out loud. She heard the branch that extended in front of her bedroom window shake and opened her eyes. Standing in front of her, leaning casually on the trunk, was Hiei. "_Lovely_ of you to _listen _in to my thoughts," Amaya said sarcastically, emphasizing her words heavily.

Hiei crossed his arms and turned his head away from her with a "hn", acting like he couldn't have cared less. He felt more weight gained on the branch he was on and looked back at Amaya. His crimson eyes widened seeing her nearly a foot away from him, staring dead on into his eyes. His pulse began to race in an adrenaline he had only felt when fighting. The longer he was held into her dark gaze, the more he felt being pulled into those twin pools or darkness. His eyes looked down and instantly saw the small curve of her lips. They formed words, but he could not hear a sound. Then instantly, he felt something hit the right side of his head hard, almost sending him falling off the branch. Rubbing his head, he looked back at the girl in front of him and yelled, "What was that for _baka onna?!_" He uncrossed his arms and clenched them into fists, ready to fight.

Amaya quirked an eyebrow. "Did you not hear a thing I had said _oni_?" she asked coolly. The real truth was, looking that long into his eyes seemed to have an effective pull in the, what she believed, black muscle in her chest that was supposed to be her heart, and it had slightly unnerved her. What is happening to me? she silently wondered as she put on a glare at Hiei's next words.

"Maybe I would have heard them if you hadn't been talking in moron," Hiei retorted. He smirked seeing the smolder in her eyes that signaled that his insult had effect. Then in the next second, he was slammed into the tree with both of her fists holding tight onto the front of his cape, her face at least an inch or two away from his.

"Keep away from my thoughts Jaganshi, or it will be your last. Remember, curiosity _kills_ the cat!" Amaya threatened, her eyes flashing blood red.

Hiei kept his cool and placed his hands over her wrists. "Don't bet on it _onna_." He moved his head closer so their noses nearly touched. "You will never get the best of me. _Never_."

Amaya glared at him. "Keep thinking that _oni_," she whispered dangerously. They stared into each other's eyes, daring the other to make a move. They were in so close a proximity to each other that to breathe meant that their chests touched every so often. Their hands tightened and their breathing became more haggard.

Amaya opened her mouth to speak but was silenced when Hiei suddenly pressed his lips upon hers. Her eyes, gone back to dark brown, widened in shock. Shock by this particular demon . . _kissing_ her. Shocked at how this kiss was _affecting_ her. Her body felt as if on fire. Her head spun in this sensation of pleasure this simple kiss was giving her. She had never felt this way before. Yet at the same time, these new feelings scared her.

Hiei felt as if in half-consciousness; apart from what was happening but was still there. He could feel their lips touching, sending waves of shivers going up his spine. He felt this deep longing that he never knew existed inside him grow smaller in content of his actions; and he was very confused by it. And then suddenly it was over. Hiei was thrown off to the side, and he landed hard on his back on the ground, the breath completely knocked out of his lungs. Slamming could be heard above him as he lay there, trying to figure out what the hell just happened back there.

Hiei slowly lifted his right, bandaged arm and gingerly touched his lips, his thoughts spinning. The deep longing he had never felt before was there, now showing itself from its hiding. But why? Why was it there, and why did he feel it now? He never felt such an intense longing before, even when he had most wanted in the world was to find Yukina, which he eventually did. So why?

Hiei slowly got to his feet. Crouching low, he sprung up into the tree, leaped onto a branch, and jumped into his bedroom window. He landed smoothly beside his bed. It was a very dark room, the interior all black with the exception of the wood paneling for his floor. Hiei sensed a presence watching him and in a flash he held a familiar person by the collar, pinned to his main door, and with his unsheathed katana at their throat. To Hiei's surprise, the intruder was Kurama. Taking his katana off from his friend's neck, he unsheathed it, and let Kurama go. "What do you want fox?" Hiei grunted as he settled upon his windowsill and looked at the scenery outside.

Kurama watched Hiei with sad emerald eyes; they were dark, like they had been back in Koenma's office. "Hiei," Kurama said softly. Once he had his friend's attention, Kurama continued, "I saw."

Hiei looked away again and "hned". "You saw nothing," he said emotionlessly.

Kurama stepped up closer to the other demon while shaking his head. "I saw _everything_," Kurama insisted. This time the tone of his voice was louder, with a definite edge to it that got Hiei to look back at him. Kurama kept the hateful words flowing in his mind at bay from his mouth, and asked, "Is this some kind of joke?" He saw the confused look in Hiei's eyes and clarified it for him, "Did you _plan_ it? To make me suffer?"

Hiei's eyes widened in anger as he understood Kurama's words. Hiei leaped from the window and faced Kurama, hands clenched into fists. "_Baka_. Do you honestly think I would do that? Do you?! I did not plan _anything!_ My order from the brat was to watch the _baka onna_, and I was!" Hiei spat.

Kurama took a deep breath to calm himself. He was thinking illogically. Of course Hiei wouldn't do that to him. But why, was the question, were they . . . kissing? Kurama looked at his friend, but Hiei cut him off.

"You did not see _anything_," Hiei repeated in a hard voice. "There is nothing going on. I hate that _onna_. You know that as well as I." But these words did not seem to ring true as they would have fifteen minutes ago, when he was first listening in on Amaya's thoughts.

"But what of the k-"

"It was _nothing_." Hiei also took a deep breath and looked down. He was getting himself worked up over nothing. That must have been a ploy of hers, he tried to convince himself. Yes. She knew that Kurama was watching them up at his window, and so she had kissed him, Hiei, to make trouble and throw them out of her way for the moment. The train of thought both seemed to sicken Hiei to the core, and feed the hate he had for her. Hiei looked back up at Kurama and said, "Kurama, she is toying with you. Don't let in to those human feelings you have for her. They will be your downfall."

_And mine . . ._


	17. Chapter 17

The next day found Amaya alone eating a hearty teriyaki meal for breakfast in the huge cafeteria. Having gone straight to bed last night without dinner, she had woken up nearly starving. She looked up at the sounds of the chair at her right scraping on the ground. It was Kurama. He held in his hands a tray full of a more typical breakfast choice: pancakes, a glass of orange juice, and a banana.

"_Ohayo_ Amaya," Kurama greeted her cheerfully and sat down. Not in the least annoyed by the lack of response from her, he tucked a napkin on the front of his shirt, and he began to cut up his pancakes and eat them.

Soon they were joined by everyone else. Amaya was terribly starting to reconsider ever eating with this pack. Kuwabara and Yusuke had not improved their eating style one bit, both being scolded for the same reason by the girl Amaya rescued yesterday, Keiko Yukimura. Keiko was of course a human. She was not pretty, but she did have an air about her that said she was not a girl to mess around with, especially with Yusuke as her childhood friend.

"How are you Amaya-chan?" Yukina greeted her friend and sat down on her other side. "Do you like being here?" she asked politely.

Amaya swallowed the last of her rice and cleared her throat. "Well, there is no dull moment, that's for sure," Amaya replied sarcastically. Her eyes roamed around the table. Boton was absent, but that was okay with Amaya. Frankly, the Grim Reaper's chipper attitude did not agree with Amaya. Also, being Koenma's "top lackey", Amaya did not doubt for one moment that Boton would be as suspicious and scared of her as her precious toddler boss. Hiei was also not at the table, but Amaya did not mourn there. She would rather avoid the _oni_ as much as possible, especially after the little incident yesterday in the tree.

Amaya snapped her fingers, and instantly her tray disappeared in front of her. Keiko, who sat right across from her, saw this and was amazed.

"That is fantastic!" she exclaimed out loud, but she seemed the only one who had thought the little trick entertaining. Keiko noticed Amaya was about to leave and invited her to stay a while and chat.

"Hn. No thanks. I rather not stay any more for fear that I shall lose my breakfast." Amaya cast Yusuke and Kuwabara a disdainful look.

Keiko turned to her left where Yusuke sat and smacked him hard across his back, almost making him choke.

"Owww!! Mhhh-mo! Wmm mmh mht ffm?" Yusuke yelled with a full mouth.

Keiko seemed to grow annoyed. "Yusuke! You are the worst boyfriend EVER! You have NO manners whatsoever!" she exclaimed loud enough for the whole cafeteria to hear.

Amaya's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You are going out with Jell Boy here?" she asked Keiko.

"Hey!"

Keiko sighed. "Yes. It doesn't seem like it, but Yusuke can be very sweet. _When he wants to be_," she muttered the last part under her breath.

Amaya said nothing more and turned away, not interested in the affairs of humans, especially if anything to do with love, and walked towards the exit. Her hand extended towards one of the two doors, but it met air as the door was quickly yanked open.

Amaya's eyes widened, and so did the crimson red eyes of Hiei, who stood on the other side of the threshold. In a flash he was gone, leaving Amaya both confused and a little embarrassed at her behavior. Damn _oni_, she cursed. She had not even taken a full two feet from her spot when she collided head to chest with Boton. Amaya recoiled back, shaking her head, her short hair falling into her face. Recollecting herself, she glared up at the perky deity of Death. "Watch where you are going!" Amaya barked irritably.

Boton laughed nervously and apologized profusely. "_Gomen nasai_, Amaya-san," she continually repeated. Then, as if she were bipolar, Boton became cheerful again. "I have orders from Koenma to tell you and the boys to go to his office immediately."

Amaya inwardly groaned. What does that _baka_ child want now?? "Fine," Amaya replied emotionlessly. She sidestepped out of the way and began walking towards where Koenma's office was located. By the time she got through the doors, the four boys were there. Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama sat in provided chairs in front of Koenma's great desk. Hiei stood a distance behind them. All heads turned towards Amaya as she entered the room.

"Anything I missed?" she asked in an uninterested tone.

Koenma seemed to puff up in irritation. "What took you so long?!" he demanded, half in anger half in suspicion.

Amaya rolled her eyes. "Just be satisfied that I came directly instead of going straight to training," she replied flatly.

"As a matter of fact, I have all called you here for that very same reason," Koenma said, going back to business. "Because of the recent events these past few days, I have decided that you all must train at least four to five times a week. If I get any reports from Boton that any of you are slacking off, you will automatically be put in guard duty probation. Is that understood?" Koenma asked.

They all nodded.

Koenma also nodded in satisfaction. "Good. You are all dismissed." With an imperial wave of his baby hand, they were free to go.

One by one, they filed out. With Kurama leading the group and Amaya trailing behind, they walked down three flights of stairs, past many hallways and doors, until they stopped before a door with the silver letters Training Room on it.

Here we go . . . Amaya thought wryly and put her hood on.

Kurama pushed open the door. The other three boys and Amaya were greeted by at least twenty demons already in the Training Room, either training or chatting.

Amaya steeled herself up for the inevitable. Her team mates may know what she looked like underneath the cloak, but the demons did not. Just as she had expected, all noise and movement had ceased, leaving a tense silence in the air. All demons eyes were on the short cloaked figure that stood a little apart from Team Uremeshi, the Spirit Detectives.

Amaya could practically smell their fear, and a small part of her that was still Nightfire loved it.

Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara were bewildered as to why the demons, who were all various employees of Koenma and his father, had stopped all activity just to stare at them. Only Hiei was the one to quickly figure it out. He knew the demons were looking, not at them, but at Amaya. At that same moment, Kurama seemed to figure out the same thing. He looked towards Amaya and became intrigued to see her completely concealed by her cloak with the exception of her dark brown eyes. Yusuke and Kuwabara still hadn't figured it out.

Amaya smirked inside her hood, not-too-old feelings at the thrill of secrecy coursing through her as she stared at the demons gawking at her. Pathetic weaklings, she thought. Ignoring the boys, she traversed the room to one of the empty fighting rings at the far-right corner. As she passed, the demons scrambled out of her way like Moses and the parting of the Red Sea. Amaya jumped into the middle of the ring and turned around. She fixed her eyes on the boys who have not moved a muscle. --Get over here-- she commanded telepathically. --We are going to train, are we not? I'm not about to waste my time, and certainly not about to do any _guard duty_-- As soon as she was finished, Hiei was in the ring in a flash while the other boys quickly made their way towards them.

All the demons were still rooted in their spots, warily watching the cloaked figure's every move. If their suspicions were correct and the recent rumors were true, then this dark, menacing creature could only be . . Then suddenly, their eyes widened as one as the dark brown eyes staring back at them changed into the familiar eyes that every youkai knew: the red and black flecked eyes of Nightfire.

Amaya fixed them a bone-chilling glare and barked out, "Disperse. _Now!_" Her command was obeyed in an instant. The demons seemed to have been shocked back into mobility, and they were all moving as fast as they could towards the exit.

Her change of voice tone had sent a chill down even to the four boys around her in the ring. Her voice was not the regular monotone that they were used to, so like their friend Hiei's, but of the voice she had used when as the ex-convict Nightfire. This tone was cold and threatening, with no warmth in it at all. Whereas Amaya's regular voice at least was familiar to them, this voice was so very alien and forbidding.

Yusuke leaned over to Kurama and Kuwabara. "Remind me never to get on her bad side," he muttered low so she wouldn't hear. The other two nodded in silent agreement.

Amaya had heard him though, but chose to ignore it. With the last demon gone, she removed her hood and brushed a strand of her jet black hair away from her dark brown eyes. Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and even Hiei had been so surprised by the tone of voice she had used on the weak demons that they had not noticed the slight change in her spirit energy when she had changed her eyes. She turned to them and smirked at them. "Let's train now that we don't have any distractions," she said. Turning on her heel, she walked over to one side of the fighting ring. "Kuwabara!" she suddenly shouted, "You are up first!"

The tall, orange-haired human's beetle black eyes widened in fear. He was sure, given the past fights he and his team mates have dealt against her, that the cloaked female on the other side of the ring would kill him. "B-B-But-!"

"No excuses."

Kurama, Yusuke, and Hiei wordlessly stepped out of the ring. Kuwabara was beginning to tremble. "You guys!! You can't leave me here!" he yelled at them. He turned back to Amaya. "I can't fight you! I have an honor code not to fight girls!"

"Kuwabara, suck it up and fight!" Amaya yelled, slightly irked at his "honor code". She held up a fireball. The glow gave off the effect upon her face a menacing look that started to freak out the teen.

"But I can't fight a girl!!" he tried to explain.

Well that explains in the past he would refuse to fight me, Amaya thought dryly. Weak, I think; to need a code to not be the bad guy by beating women up. Amaya held up another fireball. "Well if you won't make the first move, then I will. Catch!" She reared back and threw the fireball at his head.

"Kuwabara move!" Yusuke yelled from the sidelines. But the fireball had moved too fast for Amaya's tall opponent to dodge. His Elvis-like hair caught on fire. Amaya and the others shook their heads in embarrassment, and in some cases disappointment, as Kuwabara ran around in circles, trying to desperately put out the fire.

With a snap of her fingers, Amaya extinguished the fire, leaving Kuwabara's hair slightly singed and a burning smell lingering around him. Amaya narrowed her eyes and without warning, ran so fast to him that to the untrained eye, this in Kuwabara's case, seemed like a blur.

Kuwabara's eyes widened in surprise as black tentacle-like ropes shot out from the shadows of the Training Room and wrapped themselves tightly around his legs and middle, making him utterly immobile. He was not aware of Yusuke shouting at him, so engrossed to get out of these restraints.

An arm slid around his throat, and a soft voice whispered in his ear, "You are weak. How you survived this long in this team for so long is beyond me. I will not kill you as I had intended long ago"-Kuwabara shivered violently-"but instead I'll give you this advice: get rid of your ridiculous 'honor code'. I assure you that it _will_ be your downfall. What if the demon that was to kidnap Yukina again and hold her very own life ransom were female? Would you let Yukina doe because of your pride? Because you keep that code of yours?"

Amaya stepped away from the silent, still figure. She snapped her fingers and the shadow bonds around Kuwabara disappeared back from where they had came from. Kurama, Yusuke, and Hiei looked on, confused, for they had not heard a single thing Amaya had told their friend.

"Kuwabara, you are not even a worthy fighter," Amaya coldly told him. In a blur, she unsheathed her katana, flipped the blade over so it was reversed, and his Kuwabara across the back of his head, knocking him out.

"Kuwabara!" Yusuke cried. He ran over to his friend's side. Yusuke breathed a sigh of relief when he was certain Kuwabara was breathing. He snapped his head at Amaya and glared angrily at her. "Why the hell did you do that for?!" he shouted.

Amaya looked at him emotionlessly. "You know why. He is weak," Amaya replied.

"Now Amaya, Kuwabara may not be as strong as you, but he a most valuable asset to this team," Kurama defended his friend. He and Hiei had also joined them.

Amaya noticed that Yusuke, Kurama, and Hiei all seemed to have grouped up against her. No matter. She knew that she was never going to be a part of this team, knew that she could never trust anyone but herself.

--_Baka onna_. We are not against you, least of all the fox. The Detective is just mad that you knocked out the _baka_, but honestly it was a good thing you did. His presence is an annoyance that never like to tolerate. And go ahead and trust only yourself. Just know that _none_ of us will ever betray you—

Amaya looked over at Hiei, who had been the one speaking to her telepathically. --Why . . are you telling me this?-- she asked hesitantly.

Hiei looked away and softly "hn"ed. --Because _onna_, it is the truth. Despite what you think, you are part of this team, like it or not--

Amaya found it hard not to smile at this normally cold, cool-attitude of Hiei's hid a kinder side of him. Indeed it was nearly the same with her, if anyone looked hard enough, though that was _very_ unlikely. At least she was content now that she didn't have to keep on her toes around this bunch; maybe around Yusuke Uremeshi.

Amaya turned towards Kurama. "It's your turn now, fox-boy."


	18. Chapter 18

"It's your turn now, fox boy."

Kurama nodded and got into position at the other side of the fighting ring. Yusuke dragged Kuwabara towards the sidelines behind Kurama and Hiei followed.

"I am ready when you are," Kurama called.

Amaya walked over to the other side of the ring and unsheathed her katana. She assessed Kurama carefully. He was calm and alert. She knew that at least this would be interesting as she looked for a weakness. Seeing that he had his left side unguarded, she quickly charged.

"Rose Whip!" Kurama had purposefully had his left side unguarded for Amaya to take the bait. Drawing from his hair a single rose, he transferred his spirit energy into the plant and changed it into the famous whip that was known by many. He whipped it expertly at her, but to his dismay and surprise, Amaya dodged it at the last moment. She astonished him further by seemingly disappearing right before his eyes, but that's not what really had astonished him. No, what really astonished him was that she was as fast as Hiei, if not more. Yet still sensing her spirit energy, he put an arm up and blocked her blow to his head. In the process, he received a deep cut on his forearm. Kurama gritted his teeth at the pain and pushed her off.

Amaya was very impressed that Kurama could keep up with her. She jumped back as he launched his whip at her again. As he attempted to surprise her by swinging his whip to the side, she jumped high in the air and barrel-rolled in mid-air over the deadly whip. Amaya landed on all fours like a cat. She quickly dropped to the ground and barrel-rolled yet again just as Kurama directed his whip to slam to the ground where she had been moments before. Too close, Amaya thought. She jumped to her feet and immediately met Kurama's whip. The long weapon wrapped around her middle, its sharp thorns cutting through the fabrics of her clothes and piercing her skin. Her hood fell off as she tried to jerk away from the whip as an instinct. Though Amaya's face appeared cold and calm, anyone really looking into her eyes could see her pain mirrored in them. Damn it. Her blood was slowly soaking her bottom half, and slowly a pool of blood was forming around her.

"Go Kurama!" cheered Yusuke from the sidelines. Kuwabara had not woken up yet. Hiei surveyed the battle with no emotion, arms crossed. As he watched Amaya's struggle in the whip's grasp, his crimson eyes flickered for a moment then resumed their indifferent look.

Kurama could see that Amaya was really wounded by his thorns, and had let her guard down as she tried to free herself. Now! Kurama let go of his whip and charged at Amaya. In the process of letting go of his weapon, the whip around his opponent had slackened. Kurama was nearly upon Amaya before she could recollect herself. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she did not have enough time to evade his oncoming attack. Kurama leaped in the air and tackled her to the ground. He heard her gasp, and he smiled, knowing that his plan had worked.

Wham! Amaya had socked him hard in the gut. The blow was so strong that Kurama was literally launched into the air. He felt the breath in his lungs leave him as he landed hard on his back, at least five feet from Amaya. He slowly got back to his feet and stood up straight, panting hard. He couldn't help but smile a little as he saw how much Amaya had to struggle to get to her feet, breathing much harder than he. She had not realized what he had done yet.

Amaya uneasily got to her feet. She was still confused at Kurama's previous attack. It was most illogical to her. There had to be more to it. What was his motive? she silently pondered as she stood up straight to face him. She shook it off. She was still in a battle, and she intended to win.

"I win, Amaya," Kurama told her.

Amaya growled low at the calm look of the fox demon. "You have not won yet, kitsune. Don't get too cocky."

Kurama smiled lightly and replied, "Yes, I have. When I had attacked you, I took your surprise as an opportunity to insert one of my Death Seeds into the wounds you had received from my Rose Whip. My spirit energy is in that seed. If you don't surrender my energy will react, making the seed grow, and you will be engulfed by the plant of the seed and die. So it does seem that I have won."

"Whooohoo! Go Kurama! Ha! Take that Amaya!" Yusuke cheered.

Through the whole explanation, Amaya had kept silent and still. Her face, not hidden from her hood any longer, held no emotion. "Do you absolutely believe you have won?" she asked again.

Hiei, who had been watching in boredom of the fight, was now on full alert. He sensed the familiar change in Amaya's spirit energy. Amaya's power was rising considerably. She was changing into the form he had seen her in before: her pyro form. Her dark brown eyes were now blood red. Her shoulder length hair was bright red, fiery, and her lips were cherry red.

Amaya looked at Hiei at the corner of her eye. He recognized her form, having trained with her in it. She looked back to Kurama and was satisfied at having him now completely off-guard and stunned at her transformation.

"What the hell was that about?!" Yusuke shouted in alarm. He, like Kurama and Hiei, had felt the dramatic change in her energy. It was very powerful, almost matching an A class demon. And Kurama without being in his Yoko form was a higher level B class demon. Oh man, Kurama's in trouble, Yusuke thought.

Amaya closed her eyes and concentrated. The boys soon felt the temperature in the room rise. Beads of sweat squeezed out of their pores, slowly drenching their clothes. "Damn! It's like a fricken desert in here!" Yusuke cried, frantically fanning himself with both hands in order to cool. He looked down at his left where Kuwabara still lay unconscious. Damn Amaya, Yusuke thought. He started kicking his friend while at the same time still fanned himself. "Kuwabara! Kuwabara, wake up!" he yelled. Hiei, being half a fire demon, was in the least perturbed by the heat wave. He was carefully watching Amaya, wondering what her plan was.

A few feet away, Kurama, being the closest to her, felt like he was in an oven. His long red hair was matted, and his clothes clung to his body. The heat was making him realize how tired he 

was, but he could not let his guard down. He had a fight to finish. What is her reasoning for this? he asked himself.

Then, to the surprise of all three conscious boys, Amaya's whole body suddenly burst into flames. No one could see her among the red, orange, and yellow flames. Her fiery red hair was invisible to their eyes, lost within the raging inferno.

"Amaya!" Kurama, Yusuke, and even Hiei cried out in alarm. They all thought that Amaya had lost control of her powers and was now spontaneously combusting. Though very surprising, Hiei was the first one to react. Without another thought, he made a dash over to the fire but to be stopped by Kurama.

"Hiei, you can't!" Kurama yelled. "You'll be burnt to death with her if you try to save her!"

Hiei didn't know what was coming over him; he was actually panicking at the thought that Amaya would burn to death, and hell forbid, almost feared the thought of losing her. He struggled against Kurama's hold on him. "And how can you _bakas_ stand and watch her burn?!" Hiei retorted venomously.

"You guys look!!" came Yusuke's amazed voice.

Both demons snapped their attentions in the direction Yusuke pointed to and gasped. In their previous struggle, the flames that had encrypted Amaya had died down without a trace. The temperature in the room was not hot anymore. Across from the boys, Amaya stood calmly before them as if nothing had happened, still in her pyro form. The only sign that what the boys had witnessed had been real was Amayas clothes. Her clothes were severely burned and charred. There was nothing left of the long cloak she once wore. The black shirt she had worn under it was so burnt it now served as a skimpy tube top that barely clung to her breasts, leaving nothing to the imagination. Her black cargo pants were now just very short shorts, the ends still smoking from the fire. She had stopped bleeding, but still had the red, raw look upon the bottom half of her body. She had not sustained any injuries that the boys could see from the fire. Though some hidden daggers, shuriken, and kunai had been melted or just plain couldn't be used any longer, her katana and its scabbard had survived.

Amaya smirked. "You kitsune," she said in amusement. In a split second, Kurama fell forward beside Hiei, unconscious. Amaya stood behind him with her katana in hand, next to a surprised Hiei who had not been expecting the attack. Amaya sheathed her katana and sighed at ease now that she had won. Kurama had put up a good fight, considering it was only training. Amaya returned to her humane form, and telepathically moved Kurama's body to the sidelines where Yusuke and Kuwabara were. She chuckled slightly at the jelled teen's stunned expression. "Yes?"

Yusuke rubbed the back of his head. "How did you do that?" he asked in amazement. "No one but Karasu has ever escaped from Kurama's Death Seed before."

Amaya shook her head in disappointment. "Yusuke, Yusuke, Yusuke. Don't you ever underestimate me. Just remember that. I am not any other demon you have known. Do not ever forget. As for your question, I had simply raised my spirit energy of my demonic fire side, and my body heat shot up so high that I, some of you believed, had spontaneously combusted. The fire and energy within me had exploded in its attempt to escape, incinerating the seed," Amaya finished.

"Brilliant," said Kurama in a faint voice. He had woken up, and had listened to Amaya's explanation.

Amaya walked over to him and Kuwabara, who was still unconscious, and offered her hand to him. Kurama graciously accepted, and was pulled to his feet. Amaya let go of his hand and then surveyed her wounds. There were many deep cuts that she had received from Kurama's Rose Whip. Hn. It's seems as if it's always Kurama's weapon that I suffer the most from, Amaya thought dryly. Various bruises covered her body when she had on multiple times had hit the floor to evade his attacks. She could already feel her wounds healing thanks to her demonic blood. Amaya's eyes trailed over to Kurama who was talking to Yusuke. His energy, like hers, had greatly diminished since the start of the fight, and he also had sustained injuries, though not as serious as some of hers.

On a sudden impluse, Amaya slowly walked over to Kurama until she was directly in front of him.

"Amaya, what are you doing?" he asked her.

She did not answer, but put a hand in front of his face. Immediately, a faint red and black glow surrounded Kurama. His eyes widened realizing that she was healing him with her spirit energy. Soon, he felt his entire minor wounds close and any pain he had felt earlier completely numb.

Amaya let her hand fall limply back to her side. She was fighting to take gasping breaths of air instead of breathing hard through her nose as she was now. Amaya felt slightly weaker now that she had helped Kurama. Part of her was severely reprimanding her for even using her energy to heal him when she needed it, but the other part of her felt very content with her good deed.

"Amaya-"

"I don't need your gratitude Kurama. You had put up a very good fight," Amaya cut him off. He's an admirable fighter, Amaya thought. --Don't you think so, Hiei?--

--Hn--

Amaya smirked, knowing she had caught the demon peaking into her thoughts. She turned around to face him, but weak as she was, she staggered. Amaya closed her eyes, waiting for the ground to meet her painfully, but it never happened. Arms grabbed her around her waist and she was back firmly on her feet.

Hiei steadied her and reprimanded sternly in her mind --_Baka onna_. You are too weak--

Amaya turned around in his arms, her dark brown eyes flashing angrily at his words. --I am NOT weak, you _baka oni!_-- she retorted, ready for a fight.

Hiei scoffed. --Don't even try _onna_--

Amaya thrust her head closer towards his, eyes ablaze. --Why? Scared you will lose?-- she boldly challenged. She knew in her condition she wouldn't even last ten minutes fighting with him, but she couldn't let Hiei Jaganshi get the best of her.

Hiei lifted his right hand and smacked her upside the head. --_Baka onna_. You're going to get yourself easily killed one day with that pride of yours-- he warned her.

Amaya yelped at the flash of pain in her head. She saw Hiei wince since they were sharing a telepathic connection at the moment. Amaya glared daggers at him and held onto both his wrists. --You _baka!_ -- she practically yelled at him telepathically and otherwise. Amaya was satisfied seeing him wince all the more. He was just so insufferable! Amaya couldn't stand him!

"Amaya?" came Kurama's voice.

Hiei and Amaya snapped their heads towards Yusuke and Kurama, and the connection they had broke. Yusuke looked at the two short demons with a smirk across his face that neither Hiei nor Amaya liked. Kurama was looking mainly at Amaya's hands around Hiei's wrists. Hiei saw this and roughly pushed Amaya away from him. He "hned" and stalked over to the training ring.

Amaya glared deeply at the back of his head, wishing with all her might that that ridiculous hair of his would burst into flames. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around to encounter Kurama's kind emerald eyes.

"Don't you mind, Hiei," he told her with a smile. "He is like that most of the time, but you should know that when we all had thought you lost control of your powers, he had immediately tried to save you." Kurama could have kicked himself then and there. Why had he told Amaya that? Why did he have to put Hiei in a good light with her? At that last thought, Kurama felt most disgusted at himself. He shouldn't think that. It was very fortunate that Hiei had wanted to save Amaya. It meant that he at least thought she was not an enemy.

Amaya's eyes were wide open in surprise and shock. Hiei what?! she thought, nearly hysterically. Oh dear, sweet Yama! Please do not let the world come to an end now! She looked over at Hiei, far away from them at the other side of the ring, waiting for Yusuke who was still trying to wake up Kuwabara. "Why would he care?" she whispered.

Hiei felt eyes on him and turned his head. Then, his and Amaya's eyes locked onto each other, and he knew that Kurama had told her about him wanting to help her in a second. Damn fox, Hiei cursed, but yet he was slightly confused. Why would Kurama want to tell her if he wanted her affection for him? Why did Hiei even care if she had any feelings for Kurama?! Hiei glared at Amaya and snapped his head towards Yusuke Uremeshi.

"Detective! It's our turn!" he snapped.


	19. Chapter 19

"Detective! It's our turn!" Hiei snapped from across the fighting ring.

Amaya watched as Yusuke finally left his friend's side and faced Hiei. She had to hand it to him; Yusuke was very confident of his own power, and was not in the least intimidated by Hiei as he stretched out his toned muscles.

An A class, Amaya thought. Hiei is right now a lower B class. If he were to turn into his demon form he'd be a higher B class and would at least have a chance of tying.

Kurama walked over in between Yusuke and Hiei at the sideline, the referee of the match. "Begin!" he announced.

Amaya watched carefully as the two fought. Hiei was using his katana versus Yusuke's use of his fists. Checking on the referee, Amaya noticed Kurama having slight difficulty with keeping up with the two fast fighters while she could follow their moves perfectly. Amaya took in to account each blow taken, each block; carefully storing in her mind their strengths and weaknesses for future references.

"Sword of the Darkness Flame!" Hiei roared. His katana blade became engulfed in black flames at once. Hiei swung it at Yusuke with even more speed than what he had been fighting a moment before. He faked a swing to Yusuke's left, and then changed direction towards Yusuke's open head. The jelled teen blocked the attack by putting up his arm like Kurama had done against Amaya and received a severe deep cut and burn from both blade and fire. Using this as an opportunity, Yusuke gave Hiei a full round house that sent the demon flying off to the side.

Yusuke formed his right hand into the shape of a gun and pointed his softly glowing index finger at Hiei. A blue ball of spirit energy, Yusuke's spirit energy, grew at his finger tip. "Spirit Gun!!" Yusuke yelled and released his attack. The hit was direct as it caught Hiei in the chest and exploded. Billows of smoke drifted into the air. As it cleared, Yusuke, Kurama, Amaya, and the now conscious Kuwabara saw Hiei lying still on his side. They could all see his face, his eyes shut tight. The rising and falling of his chest told everyone that he was still alive.

"It's seems that Yusuke has-"

"Not . . yet fox." Hiei slowly opened his crimson eyes and rolled over, getting up on all fours. His breathing was steady, deep. Hiei pushed off the ground and got to his feet. He looked a little worse for wear, but there were no serious injuries with the minor bruises he received from Yusuke's blast. His katana lay yards away at the other side of the ring from where he was. "I have not been defeated yet."

Kurama nodded. "Let the fight continue," he called.

Yusuke faced Hiei and charged, fists raised. Hiei blocked a second too slow and was hit on his jaw hard. He stumbled back, but quickly regained his footing. His right hand was now glowing black as he concentrated hard to pull the last of his spirit energy into that body part. Hiei ripped off his black cape to reveal the black loose muscle shirt and matching pants he wore under.

This shall be over pretty soon, Amaya thought grimly and crossed her arms over her chest. Before her eyes, Hiei's appearance was changing. His gravity-defying hair split down the middle, forming two points. His skin, normally a pale tan, turned an acid shade of green as more eyes formed all over his body. The tiniest of the closest thing to a true smile crossed Amaya's face and disappeared as quick as it came as she watched Hiei take off his white bandana, revealing his third purple eye in the middle of his forehead: the Jagan eye. Amaya felt his spirit energy skyrocket as he prepared for his final attack. Hiei untied the bandages off of his right arm, revealing the black dragon tattoo snaking around the limb. Black energy slowly began to surround his arm. Hiei was equal the strength to an average high B class demon.

Across from him, Yusuke's power was also rising. He had taken to a defensive stance, and a blue aura, his aura, surrounded him. The two powerful energies sent the tense air around everyone crackling.

Yusuke is much more powerful than I had first believed, Amaya thought impressed. Why, he's a lower A class demon, and his power now is equal to my own in my pyro form. An image of her with red and black eyes and red highlights in her hair flashed through her mind. _But he's not strong enough._

Yusuke once again pointed his gun-shaped hand at Hiei, and his spirit energy quickly gathered.

Hiei called forth his powerful dragon and commanded it to attack Yusuke. The dark dragon roared fiercely, and at once charged at an amazing rate towards its target.

Yusuke tensed up, very intimidated by the large, menacing dragon, but he kept his head level. With his left hand clenched tightly around the wrist of his right, Yusuke imagined in his mind a gun and pulled the trigger. "Spirit Gun!" he yelled for the second time. A tremendous blast was sent towards the oncoming dragon. It opened its mouth wide and seemed to have swallowed the blast before continuing its way towards the teen. When it was thought that Hiei would be the victor, the dragon suddenly exploded from within feet away from Yusuke, throwing him back. The ground shook with amazing force. Bits and pieces of the roof broke and fell all around and dust flew, clouding the fighters.

"Uremeshi!" Kuwabara yelled in alarm as he fell off the bench, flat on his back. Both Kurama and Amaya were both saved that same embarrassment by having centered their weight.

Then, the rumbling stopped as quickly as it had come. The dust surrounding the ring slowly faded, leaving the sight of the victor as Yusuke. The powerful teen's spirit energy was greatly depleted. He was looking much worse for wear; his once shining slicked-back hair lay in disarray all over his face with dust lightly sprinkled on it. The green school clothes he usually wore were torn, mostly at the arms. Blood stains dotted what was left of his uniform from cuts and other wounds he had received while fighting. Though Yusuke was hunched over in pain, Amaya, Kurama, and Kuwabara could see the broad, cocky grin that lighted up his bruised facial features. Kuwabara jumped to his feet and raced over to help his friend, yelling both compliments to Yusuke's victory and insults to the unconscious form of Hiei who was in a worse condition than Yusuke.

Kurama smiled in relief, glad that the fight was over. It was obvious who the winner was. Kurama looked to his left side and for a moment his heart seemed to halt when he didn't see Amaya standing beside him. He spun around searching for her, and was relieved to find her standing beside Hiei. He took a long moment to watch her bend down to check on the demon. Kurama sighed faintly as he felt as if a heavy weight seemed to have settled upon his heart.

Amaya looked down at Hiei's unconscious state and shook her head slowly. His left leg was broken by the strange angle it was in. He had many more cuts and bruises than Yusuke, all looking very ugly to the eye. There was a large bruise swelling on his right calf, greenish-yellow; never a good sign. Amaya closely observed his breathing patterns and found that he was having difficulty breathing by telling how his chest moved irregularly up and down. Amaya kneeled down and gently placed his right arm on her lap. It was black, like it had been reported at the time when he had fought for the first time in using the dragon. The dragon tattoo, having had disappeared when summoning his dragon, was back around his arm. Moron, Amaya thought angrily. What the hell was that pathetic _baka_ thinking?!

--You are the pathetic one, _baka_--

Amaya's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the familiar, yet very feeble, voice inside her head. --Hiei, you _baka oni_! How could you get yourself into this?!-- Amaya reprimanded.

--_Urusai onna_ and just heal me like you did Kurama-- Hiei commanded.

Amaya snorted. If Hiei could still try to order her around, he would be fine. --Why should I?-- she asked impishly. --You are just going to try to kill yourself again!-- She made it sound like she was condescending him, but once it passed through her lips, she instantly felt a forbodding shiver go up her spine.

--_Baka_! You heal me now or I will-!--

--You _baka yaro_! You can't do a thing in this condition so shut up and I'll heal you!-- Amaya smirked as she heard Hiei growl below her and his presence in her mind leave. Gathering up some of her regained energy, she gently placed a hand on his chest and healed him.

Hiei could feel Amaya's spirit energy flow from her outstretched hand and into his body. The throbbing pain he had felt before because of his broken leg and broken ribs was numb, and the bones healed. Any major wounds he had received while fighting the Detective were gone. The skin under Amaya's hand protested as she removed it from Hiei when she was finished, and Hiei oddly felt an urge to grab that hand and bring it close. Realizing what he had thought, Hiei snapped his eyes open and attempted to sit up. He winced slightly, for there was still some pain left. He turned his head to his right where he heard a soft sigh.

Amaya sighed, feeling haggard from that major healing. She was plainly exhausted and needed rest for her own wounds to heal. Amaya looked at Hiei and saw the pained look in his eyes. 

"Sorry _oni_, but I have not enough energy to heal all of your wounds," she replied candidly, softly.

Hiei's eyebrow shot up. Why was she looking so apologetic? As if it was her fault that he was still in pain? Hiei noticed at that moment Amaya had gone over to the Detective to heal him. Deciding to sit up again and succeeding, he quickly drew in breath as his head spun slightly from dizziness.

"Need a hand?"

Hiei looked up and saw Kurama extending a helping hand towards him with a smile on his handsome face. If it had been anyone else, Hiei would have simply told them to back off, but his friendship with Kurama went deep so he took the hand.

"How do you feel now?" Kurama asked with muhc sincerity, indicating the healing Hiei just received from Amaya.

"Hn," Hiei replied and dusted himself off.

"Hey! I'm hungry now! Let's eat!!" Yusuke yelled as he stepped away from Amaya, having been healed by her. He wasn't mad at her anymore, but he still wouldn't forget how harshly she treated Kuwabara.

"I'll race you to the cafeteria Uremeshi!" Kuwabara challenged his friend. Then without warning, they both sped off out the doors in a blink of an eye, leaving Amaya in their dust.

Hiei and Kurama snickered seeing the surprised, comical look come across Amaya's face. She looked windblown from the surprising speed the two humans had taken off in, comparable to Hiei and Amaya's own speed.

Amaya shook her short jet black hair back in place and patted dust off the remains of her clothes. She felt very drained of energy now and needed rest. She shook off her surprise and turned to Kurama and Hiei, the only ones, besides her, left. "Are they always like that after training?" she asked as they all walked out.

"Hn. It's _worse_," Hiei replied gruffly as he walked on her left side.

Kurama chuckled. "Well, I think we should hurry down to the cafeteria, or there won't be any more food left," he suggested.

The thought of seeing the two pigs eating gave Amaya's stomach a horrible lurch. "I'll skip dinner and go right ahead to sleeping," she replied. Without another word, she walked into a shadow and landed in her room.

* * *

Amaya lowered her katana and relaxed. She wiped the sweat off her brow and sighed deeply. 

She sheathed her katana back in its scabbard. It was a sturdy wooden scabbard, one she had made herself. Amaya's eyes wandered to the white cloth wrapped tightly near the mouth of the scabbard. It was a little worn out around the edges. She remembered that Hiei wore another bandana to hide his Jagan and smirked. Amaya wore an all black outfit fit for training with her usual amount of hidden weapons concealed within her clothes. Off to the side was another black cloak she had "borrowed" from one of Koenma's lackeys.

It was nearly six A.M. if the big clock over the entrance doors of the Training Room was to be believed. The room itself was empty with the exception of her, and was repaired from the training session she and the Spirit Detectives had the day before.

Amaya had been training hard by herself for nearly two hours, doing first elementary training techniques she had learned from the famous Genkai, her former instructor, and then into the more rigorous ones. She had finished off with practicing with her katana and her speed, zipping to and fro around the whole room as she sliced an imaginary foe.

Amayas dark brown eyes snapped towards the door as it opened softly. "What is it, _baka_?" she asked, looking up at the intruder with narrowed eyes, filled with disdain.

Kuwabara slowly made his way towards Amaya. He was slightly panicked at those cold eyes looking up at him. Yet, he was also nervous. Not only was he counting on Amaya for help, but a girl at that. Still, he swallowed his pride and humbly asked her to train him. "I . . uh . . . thought about what you told me during training yesterday," he said awkwardly.

Well that must have been a first, Amaya thought sarcastically.

"-and I . . n-need your help." He took a deep breath and bravely looked down into Amaya's penetrating stare. "I need to get stronger to help protect Yukina." At the thought of his beloved, his courage seemed to grow. "Not only that, but I want to help my friends if they get into danger! Please, I need your help! I'll do anything you say!"

"Kuwabara, just shut up and start running."

The tall, orange-haired teen blinked in confusion, trying to comprehend the abrupt demand. "Wha-?"

"I will train you," Amaya answered shortly and to the point. "We start now. I will not tolerate any complaints! You must work hard with no slacking off if you ever want to get stronger! Now! 100 laps around this whole room under two hours! Go!" Amaya commanded.

"_What?!_ Two HOURS?!" Kuwabara yelled, but none of the less began running.

And so it began. Every early morning before school and the weekends, Amaya and Kuwabara would meet in the Training Room. First, starting with running for two hours until Kuwabara slowly got faster and the time got shorter. Then, Amaya taught Kuwabara proper use in handling his spirit sword. She saw very serious flaws in his fighting strategies.

"What did I do to deserve this?" she once muttered as she dodged a predictable down stroke by sidestepping out of the way. It took a lot to make the chivalrous teen to even spar against her. He still upheld to his honor code, and so it was up to Amaya to figure out ways to get him to fight her which varied from threatening him to making him mad.

Kuwabara showed Amaya the katana handle he had gotten from Suzuki during the Dark Tournament, the Experimental Sword. Amaya had taken the handle, studied it hard for a second, and chucked it away from her with a grunt.

"Hey!! What was _that_ about?!" Kuwabara yelled at the calm demon, waving his hands around. "That helps me change my spirit sword into other shapes!!"

Amaya pierced him a look that immediately made him fall silent. "You do not need that trash," she told him. "What if you were to be disarmed? You must not rely entirely on objects, though they _do_ help you at times. Your spirit sword is made of _your_ spirit energy, and so, you should be able to change it at will." She reminded him of her Shadow Bonds. "It is made of partially the shadows and of my spirit energy. The shadows, with my help, can be molded into anything with _much concentration_."

She drove him hard, making him sit through long periods of meditation to clear his mind of all the mundane thoughts going through his head. Then, she would make him concentrate until one day, Kuwabara changed his spirit sword into a rough looking whip.

None of the other three knew of the secret training, but each felt the differences in Kuwabara's spirit energy and saw the differences in the trainings they all had together until nearly two months Amaya had started training him did Kuwabara actually defeat Yusuke by manipulating his sword to turn first into a whip and threw him to the ground. Kuwabara then concentrated hard on changing his whip into a hammer at the last minute that Yusuke retaliated with his spirit gun, hitting the blast back at him. Caught by surprise, Yusuke couldn't evade it from his position on the ground and was knocked unconscious.

Kurama, and even Hiei, was shocked. Amaya however was very pleased and maybe even _proud_ of Kuwabara.

"Good job, Kuwabara. I was starting to get worried that all that training was a waste," she complimented. A sharp, crisp wind blew over them, shaking the leaves of the trees in the forest they had decided to train in and whipping Amaya's short jet black hair around her face.

Kurama, Hiei, and the reawakened Yusuke gaped at both Amaya and Kuwabara as if they had suddenly acquired more heads. "Amaya _trained_ you?!" Yusuke exclaimed, holding his head as if the world was coming to an end.

Kuwabara puffed up his chest proudly. "Yup! And I learned a lot! Ha, Uremeshi! I kicked your ass, and now _I_ am number one delinquent of Sarayashiki Jr. High!" Kuwabara gloated.

"I'll show you who the _true_ number one is!!" A fight broke out between the two humans. The 

three demons shook their heads at their behavior.

Kurama turned to Amaya. "How long have you been training Kuwabara?" he inquired. Though he had looked bored a moment before, Hiei was listening into the conversation.

"For at least two months. We have been meeting up in the Training Room," Amaya replied without any more elaboration. Turning to the two teens, Amaya waved her hands and psychically separated them. "Kuwabara! Fifty laps in twenty minutes! Go!" she barked.

Kuwabara immediately jumped to his feet and started running around the enclosed forest area. Yusuke, Kurama, and Hiei's eyes widened as they watched Kuwabara complete his task nearly four minutes under the time limit.

"Damn!" Yusuke exclaimed as Kuwabara stopped in front of them, breathing hard through his nose.

Amaya nodded in approval. "Good," she said simply.

"How is that just _'good'?!_" Yusuke yelled at her.

Amaya just raised an eyebrow in warning. Yusuke gulped and took a retreating step back.

"Well, why don't we celebrate?" Kurama suggested, breaking the built up tension. "Lunch on me." Yusuke and Kuwabara cheered as they piled in a portal Kurama had made by a small device Koenma had given him.

Amaya saw to it that the humans didn't block the way and then turned to Kurama with a smirk. "You better hope your human mother gave you enough of that _ea-low-ants_," she said, referring to the term that humans seemed to complain about.

Kurama laughed and replied, "Oh don't worry about that. I just want you all to be nourished right now." Kurama gave her a smile that sent curious flips to her stomach before walking in the portal.

Amaya had one foot inside the black mass when Hiei stopped her. "What is it?" she asked, feeling peculiarly calm and peaceful. She looked into his crimson eyes and felt herself become lost in their depths. Oddly enough, looking into his eyes sent her a fleeting guilty feeling. Hiei looked intensely at her with a look in his eyes that tried to tell her something, something very important, but shrugged it off and stepped inside the portal. Amaya shook her head out of the daze she had found herself in. Two demons . . . new emotions. I _have_ to stop these weak feelings from ruining me, she thought, her heart filling in confusion as she stepped into the portal.


	20. Chapter 20

Amaya sat in the cafeteria, the usual morning sun was hidden deep within dark clouds that pulsed ominously with building thunder. It was a rare sight indeed for Amaya, who had grown to seeing the Spirit World sky so bright and calm.

I feel like trouble is brewing up, she thought, but dismissed it immediately as she looked around the table. The four boys sat around her, Hiei and Kurama at either side of her. It had been a few weeks ago that she had taken to eating again with the group, very slowly learning to tolerate the two human teens' lack of table manners. She had been learning more to accept her new life, and was making the most of it, even if she sometimes had to grit her teeth and bear. None of them seemed to be the least bothered in the strange weather conditions.

They will be soon, Amaya thought as her chair scraped back, and she stood up. "C'mon boys, time to train," she told them. "And no complaining Yusuke, Kuwabara," Amaya sternly added before the two could open their food-filled mouths. Kurama chuckled softly and Hiei smirked.

Yusuke and Kuwabara swallowed their food and did manage a good-natured groan before standing up to follow Amaya, Hiei, and Kurama out the cafeteria. They all walked out Koenma's mansion and into the forest, their destination the usual clearing in the forest they had been training in.

Kurama looked up and noted the dark sky above. Very unusual, he thought. Looking over at Amaya, he met her dark brown eyes and felt a stir in his heart. Her eyes told it all. She knew about the weather conditions and she didn't care. They were going to train.

--What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. I believe, being very smart as you are, you have heard that before-- said a feminine voice in his head that could only belong to the short demoness walking ahead of him. Her eyes weren't looking at him anymore, so she didn't see the soft smile that touched Kurama's lips at her words.

Once there, they all did their individual warm ups and stretches, though Amaya still kept a close eye on Kuwabara. And when they were done, Amaya walked over to one end of the small clearing. On cue, Kuwabara strode over to the spot across from her as Kurama stood at the middle of the sideline as the referee. If Kuwabara had any secret misgivings about his honor code, he wasn't thinking about it now as he took an offensive stance, determined to beat his shorter opponent.

Kurama raised both of his arms high. "One . . . two . . . thr-!"

"STOP!" Boton came at them on her wooden oar, flying in her usual chaotic style. She landed safely in the middle of the clearing.

"What is it Boton?" Kurama inquired, slightly concerned at the dark look across the Grim Reaper's usual chipper pink eyes.

"Koenma has a mission for you all. He needs you to report to him immediately!" she informed them.

Amaya's eyebrows rose and the familiar feeling of adrenaline pumping through her veins settled within her. Finally! Maybe this assignment will be more amusing! she thought. The ones Koenma had been giving us not only were a piece of cake, but they were as boring and annoying as watching flies zip around your head.

--Hn. Just don't get in my way _onna_-- Hiei told her telepathically.

Amaya turned her head towards him with a glare in her eyes, the only thing visible to the eye because of her cloak. Her determination to not only prove everyone of her trust in the team but to also show up Hiei heightened. --If I'm not mistaken, and I'm _not_, the last mission I had secured that gem before any one of the Spirit Detectives. So just shut up _baka shrimp_-- Amaya ordered.

Hiei glared deep into her eyes, feelings of hate flowing through him like a fast current. --You shall _regret_ that-- he threatened. This time _he_ blocked out Amaya from him mind, creating a mental barrier against her.

Amaya didn't know what caused her to walk away from her spot and disappeared into a shadow of a tree. It could have been rage, but then something in her heart told her otherwise. When Hiei had forcefully pushed her out of his mind, she felt oddly alone without his overbearing but yet so familiar presence in her mind. Amaya shook her head vigorously as she stepped out of a shadow behind one of Koenma's large open doors.

Koenma looked up at the sound of stomping and saw Amaya. "Where are the others?" he asked her. There was a slight tremble in his voice, though Amaya did not notice. Even if she had countless times proved she was worth any trust, Koenma still had a foreboding feeling about her, a feeling that slightly made him wary of her.

Amaya stood at the back of one of the chairs provided for the Spirit Detectives, crossed her arms, and grunted. Five minutes later, the boys walked through the golden doors with their escort Boton.

"What do you want _now_ baby?!" Yusuke demanded as he plopped onto the seat in front of Amaya. Secretly though, he was relieved that he didn't have to train with the weather outside. Out of the corner of his puppy brown eyes, he saw out of Koenma's office windows thunder erupting across the clouds. Around him, Kuwabara settled at his left. Kurama stood besides Amaya and Hiei walked over to one of the windows, staring out into the dismal scenery.

Letting the comment slide, Koenma looked at them all with a serious face. "I have a new mission for all of you, not to be taken lightly," he warned. He took out his remote and clicked a button. The boys and Amaya turned around towards the drop-TV screen. It turned on and revealed a middle-aged looking demon with greasy black hair nearly covering his empty black eyes-

"Hold on a minute! That son of a bastard is Paulo!" Amaya yelled in half surprise that of all demons it would be him, and in half anger that her suspicions had been correct about the day Keiko told her about meeting him.

Kurama's emerald eyes widened in surprise as he immediately recognized the demon he had saved at the crumbling bar in Makai. "I know him too," he said, his surprise fading and a serious tone taking place. He as well as everyone else looked at Amaya who glared in open dislike at the picture of the demon. "How do you know him?" he asked.

Forcing murderous thoughts out of her mind, Amaya explained that he had been a source of information to her. "He supplied me what I needed to know of any demons I wished to assassinate or get rid of," she explained further. She turned to look at the Spirit World Prince. "What has he to do with all this?" she inquired.

"Everything," Koenma said. "He has recently taken an artifact, most likely from the Black Market I suppose, and with it has made him even stronger than before."

"How strong?" Yusuke asked, who seemed to be anticipating the challenge of fighting someone strong.

"Being at low B class, with the artifact he is now on the verge of being a low S class demon."

Amaya lifted an eyebrow in question. Two whole classes? How can that be? Unless . . . "Koenma, is the artifact called the 'Cursed Amulet'?" she demanded.

Koenma looked taken aback. "Why, yes it is," he told her. "How did you know?"

Amaya closed her eyes and let out a long breath before looking back at him. "I am part shadow demon. Paulo is a full one. Nearly all shadow demons know of the 'Amulet' because it is made of pure dark energy that enhances any shadow demon that wears it," she replied emotionlessly, not letting on any more information. She felt two twin crimson orbs looking at her from their place by the window but ignored them.

Koenma nodded and turned attention to the rest of the Detectives. "Now, he is currently hiding in an abandoned warehouse deep within the Makai. Go retrieve the artifact and you may dispose of him," the toddler ordered. He opened up a portal for them. Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei, and lastly Amaya nodded and walked silently into the portal.

* * *

The warehouse loomed tall and bleak before Amaya and the boys as they stepped out of the portal. Far off behind in the night sky was Makai's red moon, casting an eerie red glow on everything.

At the rear of the group, Kuwabara shivered as his sixth sense set to work on him, and felt an evil coldness settle in his bones. "You guys, this place gives me the creeps," he told the rest.

Amaya looked at him casually over her shoulder and then looked back at the rundown building. Something was very much amiss. While there should be some sort of noise, anything, this place was a complete crescendo of silence. It was as if nothing lived, or the warehouse itself was containing the sounds. Her eyes warily fell to the ground where the large shadow of the warehouse was only three yards away from her group. She remembered about the piece of information she didn't tell Koenma and turned fully to the others.

"You must know something before we venture in there," she told them. "The 'Amulet' gives the wearer vast control of the shadows. In addition, the wearer may create shadow soldiers for their use."

"And this Paulo guy could be sending these soldiers after us?" Yusuke confirmed.

Amaya nodded.

"Ha! What a wimp!!" Kuwabara exclaimed. He believed it was the lowest form of cowardice to use others to fight you battles.

Hiei "hn"ed. "Let's just get this over with," he grunted.

Kurama nodded in agreement. "Shadows greatest fear is the light. If it comes to that, then we need to create light to defeat them," he cautioned as they moved off towards the building.

"I feel strong power from underneath us," Kuwabara whispered.

Yusuke kicked the door down, making a loud entrance. Amaya thought him a moron for giving away their position as she and the others walked in after the teen. As soon as Kuwabara closed the door, she had reason to want to kill Yusuke further. As the last remaining red light of the outside was gone, at least fifty dark blobs the strength of low class demons sifted out of the shadows and molded into soldier-like creatures. The room was pitch black, giving the shadow soldiers the advantage because of the five intruders, only the cloaked one could see through the darkness. Though none of the soldiers could feel emotion, being the puppets that they are, they could feel immense power rising from the figure. Its blood red eyes made them more menacing.

Surrounded, Amaya thought as she changed into her pyro form. As if something had triggered the soldiers, they began to attack her group. Amaya pulled out her katana and began to slice at them, only to feel nothing contact with the blade. The blade only passed through them! Amaya's eyes widened in surprise and in shock that she had forgotten of course it would. Shadows are baseless things.

The others looked as if they were having trouble fighting the shadows. Hiei had tried the same thing with his katana and the weapon also proved useless. The same seemed to be the case with Kurama as he tried using his Rose Whip against them and even to Yusuke who had optioned with his fists. But Kuwabara. . he had conjured his spirit sword and with the orange glow, he was easily taking out the soldiers.

That's it! Amaya thought, mentally hitting herself. --Hiei!-- She called out to him, for the first time since meeting him hoping he was listening. She had her answer two heartbeats later.

--What do you want _onna_?-- His mental voice sound very strained and Amaya could see why. His katana was useless against the soldiers and he seemed to be struggling. Though he could sense the soldiers, it was still hard to pinpoint their exact location since the soldiers could melt into the shadows and reappear somewhere else.

--Use your fire powers to create some light in here-- Amaya told him as she began fighting the soldiers on their same territory, using the shadows. --Remember what Kurama told us? Shadows greatest fear is the light!-- She did not need a reply which she knew Hiei wouldn't give. Amaya already knew he was following what she told him as shrieks emitted from the shadow soldiers around Hiei as he conjured black fire to surround his katana and began slicing the enemies quickly.

After contacting Yusuke and told him to use his spirit gun, Amaya held her hands in front of her. Concentrating hard on her fire powers, she made a fire orb roughly the size of her heard and threw it high in the air. She used her telekinesis to keep it up there and let the orb slowly grow. Around her, the soldiers were looking up at the orb with fear, the only emotion they felt now. Many of them shrank away from the light, which filled the room. Amaya unsheathed her katana once more and smirked at the soldiers. "Now you shall know the messenger of _death_," she whispered. With a burst of speed, she sliced at the soldiers with no mercy, easily eliminating all who was unfortunate to taste her blade. As she battled, Amaya fought her own inside as she controlled her rising lust for bloodshed, bloodshed that the soldiers did not give her.

Soon, there was only a dozen left and there was still no sign of Paulo. Amaya skidded to a halt and pointed her katana blade down warily. Where is that coward?! she thought. A soldier ran at her with a spear in hand. Amaya disappeared and reappeared behind the soldier and plunged her katana through its head. The soldier instantly disintegrated like many of its former comrades and the shapeless shadow left returned to the darkness of the warehouse.

"_Onna_, watch out!" Hiei's voice was heard sharp above the din.

Amaya felt a sharp pain in the back of her head before blacking out.

Hiei viciously sliced another soldier that had been in his way and ran quickly over to Amaya's fallen form. He had not gone a dozen steps towards her when another soldier blocked his way. It struck swiftly at Hiei, leaving a wide gash across his chest.

Hiei looked down at his wound and then at the emotionless soldier with blazing eyes. "I have no _time_ for the likes of you," he growled.

"HIEI!" Kurama suddenly cried.

Hiei sliced the soldier in a second and looked towards where Kurama fought two soldiers at the same time. Kurama was having some difficulty fighting them off as he tried to mouth something to his friend. Hiei looked into his mind, and his eyes widened. He snapped around to where Amaya lay.

A cold hand seemed to grip at his heart like a vice. Shadows were gathering under Amaya, moving and writhing as if they were alive, and she was sinking into it like quicksand. Time seemed to be playing a trick on Hiei and moved painfully slow as he ran his hardest. He could hear his heart pumping wildly from trying to pump rejuvenating blood through his body, or the fact that Amaya was disappearing into the black void before his eyes, he didn't know which.

Hiei leaped in a last attempt to cover the rest of the distance between him and Amaya, but he got there too late. He saw the rest of her black hood fall into the black gathered shadows just as he landed on top of the spot where she was moments before. Hiei silently stood up, disbelief etched into his features. Then slowly, cold rage came from nowhere and filled him. Hiei lift his wrapped right arm high in the air and drove it down powerfully, leaving a fairly large crater. Another crater followed, and another, and another, until all Hiei could focus on was breaking the ground that had taken Amaya.

Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama silently watched Hiei, Kurama the most with more attention. He looked at Hiei with sadness in his eyes and knew. I think I have known all along, he thought mournfully. Or at least should have known. A vision with a tree and two demons standing on a branch in close, intimate proximity flashed through his mind. He and the others were all alone now. The rest of the soldiers had fled back to the shadows that they were made of as soon as Amaya had been taken.

The last blow vibrated throughout the drab building and through each of the Spirit Detectives' bodies. Hiei stepped away from the damaged ground and breathed deeply, holding back his torrent of emotions. He had expressed emotions when he should have been finding Amaya. His right arm hung almost limply by his side, blood slowly dripping from his knuckles. Hiei swept away every thought and emotion out of his mind and closed his eyes. A purple glow under his white bandana told the rest that Hiei was trying to search for their comrade with his Jagan eye.

"Did you locate her?" Kurama ventured after a minute.

Hiei snapped his eyes open and nodded. A new cold and menacing demeanor was now plaguing him, and his crimson eyes were dark with suppressed rage. "She is still unconscious, but I sensed her spirit energy and anothers beneath us," Hiei replied icily.

"Well in that case, SPIRIT GUN!" Yusuke exclaimed and blasted the damaged part of the floor Hiei had assaulted. Hiei, cursing the jelled teen, put up his arms to shield himself from the wreckage. A large hole was created, and as soon as he got his bearings, Hiei jumped down the hole without hesitation, and was quickly followed by the others.


	21. Chapter 21

The distant drop of water awoke Amaya out of her dark sleep. She slowly stood up from the gritty floor she lay on, aware now of the painful throbbing at the back of her head. Dizziness washed over her like ocean waves as she got to her feet. Amaya put her hand on one of the stone walls that enclosed her to keep from toppling over. Her dark brown eyes closely inspected her surroundings, and she found that she was in a dungeon cell. Through the black bars at least ten feet in front of her, she could see more cells though empty.

Amaya walked over to the heavy door and raised her hand to the lock. She tried to form a fireball, but nothing happened. She concentrated harder but still nothing. With a few more attempts, Amaya felt herself grow slowly weaker, like she was being drained of her spirit energy. Her eyes wandered down her hand to her naked wrists, for she did not have her cloak on, and widened in fury. Energy restraint cuffs, she thought forlornly. Thin metal handcuffs encircled her wrists, and they omitted a faint red and black glow, telling the demoness that they were sucking up her powers. They were very lightweight, so that had been the reason why she didn't notice them before.

I'll _massacre_ that bastard, Amaya swore. Many nightmare-worthy thoughts passed through her mind, almost distracting her from hearing the heavy fall of footsteps coming towards her cell. Amaya's head snapped towards the sound, and she silently moved into a shadowed corner. From the shadows, Amaya could see Paulo appear from the right side of the bars. She had to admit that she was slightly in awe at how much his spirit energy had increased because of the amulet. The jewel, tear drop shaped and the deepest of black, hung around his thin neck amidst his long greasy hair. The single torch illuminated Paulo's eyes. They were no longer empty and filled with fear. Instead, they had a thirst for revenge with the fear gone, replaced with superiority. Amaya glared murderously at her ex-informant as he slid open the bars and stepped inside.

Paulo's yellow jagged teeth showed as he stepped further into the cell and smiled menacingly. "Hello _Nightfire_," he almost seemed to purr to the air, like a cat about to eat a delicious canary. "It's so ah, _pleasant_ of you to drop by. How do you like those bracelets I gave you?" His black eyes roamed around the enclosure until they finally rested on the figure standing in the darkest corner of the room. "Trying to hide?" he taunted.

A low, cat-like hiss spilled out of Amaya's lips at the insult. She stepped out from the shadow and tossed her head in a proud gesture.

Paulo's eyes widened with a little of the old fear as the short female demon stomped over to him. Her cuffs glowed brighter in the colors of her spirit energy at her anger.

Amaya thrust her face as far as she could up at Paulo's and bared her teeth. Her hands gripped the metal bars that separated them now that Paulo had escaped.

The demon on the other side calmed down. He then remembered _who_ it is at _his_ mercy and his haughty demeanor returned. Paulo threw his head back and laughed, the raucous sound bouncing off every surface.

"You are weak," he snarled as the last of his laughter vibrated throughout the whole dungeon. A cruel smile stretched across his gaunt face.

Amaya growled. "_Baka yaro_. You call me weak, when we _both_ know that without the 'Amulet', you'd be nothing!" she retorted. "You see, Paulo, the difference between us is that _you_ will _always_ be a coward. Even in this weak state I'm in, I'll never be a coward. I'll never stoop down to your filthy level." This time it was Amayas turn to laugh. She was not aware that as she stood there laughing at him that Paulo slammed open the cell bars and rushed at her. Amaya's dark brown eyes widened in both shock and perhaps amusement as Paulo took her by the wrists and slammed her into the wall behind, making a deep impression on it. Amaya coughed the breath out of her lungs and with it blood. It was as if a bull had plowed her from behind. Paulo had a tight hold of her wrists at the metal cuffs.

If only I could get them off somehow, Amaya thought. She couldn't move and would not want to: her body hurt from the aftermath of the impact. She tensed as Paulo leaned down and recoiled as his disgusting hot breath touched her skin. Oddly at a time like this, she thought how much better it was when it was Hiei who was this close to her. Paulos lips moved close to her ear and whispered, "Join me Nightfire. Together, we shall take over all three worlds! You have _no one_ left! No one cares for you . . . but _me_."

Amaya could feel her left eyelid twitch in disgust. "You are wrong _baka_," she said coldly as she saw flashes of people in her mind: Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Keiko . . . and _Hiei_. "I h-_have_ people who . . care for me! I will NEVER join you!!" she yelled up at him. Amaya tried to struggle away from the foul demon in vain; he was too strong.

Paulo lifted a thin hand and whipped it across Amaya's fair complexion, leaving a red mark. "Fine, have it your way! You will die like the rest of them!" Paulo cried. He threw her forcefully to the ground.

Amaya extended her right hand out and front-flipped onto her feet. Facing her surprised enemy, she got into a defensive stance. Across from her, Paulo stood there with a bemused expression on his face. Amaya narrowed her eyes and rushed at him without warning. Although a great deal of her spirit energy was being restrained, she still had her lightning speed. She jumped and kicked him hard across the face. Amaya landed in front of him with wide eyes. Paulo had not reacted to the attack; it was as if he had not felt it at all.

The taller demon chuckled. "Tsk. Tsk. This is the great Nightfire that has been feared in both Makai and Spirit World? I'm not impressed in the least. Or are you losing your touch with being around those _humans_ and _human lovers_ so much?" he said cockily.

"Hn." Amaya hated his arrogance, and hated him demeaning the Spirit Detectives. Only I have the right to say that about them. He shall pay, Amaya thought. Then, she was struck with sudden inspiration and smirked evilly.

Paulo's eyes widened in extreme pain and he cried out loud. He was now down on his knees, hunched over, and trembling. His face was a mask of rage and torment as he clutched at the region between his legs.

Amaya looked down at him with an emotionless face, though her eyes flickered satisfyingly. "Have I lost my touch now?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Y-You bitch!" Paulo gasped. Beads of sweat formed around his brow and his breathing was labored as he tried his hardest to withstand the pain.

"I hope you never reproduce anymore scum of the likes of you," Amaya whispered venomously. She suddenly jumped back, narrowly missing a roundhouse punch.

Paulo was furious, his black eyes filled with revenge. He slowly stood back on his feet and swaggered. "You will suffer!!" he yelled and charged at her. He was very fast with the "Cursed Amulet", as fast as Amaya. Without her powers to help her out, Amaya was very much defenseless, especially in the small cell they were in. She was easily overpowered by Paulo, try as she might to defend against him with hidden weapons she still had. She tried not to show that all the blows and new forming wounds hurt her and gave her pain, keeping her face as blank as could be, but her eyes told the truth. Paulo produced her own katana from the shadows and slashed at her. The bright red blood slowly ran down her arms and torso and landed on the floor, pooling right under her. Amaya dodged the worse of the attacks but she was getting weaker. She cried out as he gave her a deep gash across her stomach, and Amaya coughed out more blood and felt it trickle down her chin. Her vision was blurry, fatigue was calling her to rest, but she wouldn't until she took care of Paulo.

Across from her, Paulo was panting hard. His hair fell on his face like dark curtains. He was in a pretty bad condition from recklessness when he attacked Nightfire. Yet Nightfire was in a worse condition, and he knew it well.

Amaya took an unsteady step towards him. A hidden kunai, a throwing dagger, slipped into her left hand from her sleeve. After two steps, she suddenly stopped and collapsed on all fours in a coughing fit. She heaved blood onto the dirty floor, its metallic taste filling her mouth.

Paulo threw his head back once more and laughed. With his powers, tentacle-like shadows leaped out from around the two and bound Amaya's wrists and ankles. One wrapped itself around her neck and another around her middle. She tried to struggle but the binds tightened around her, and she was close from choking to death. Paulo watched with pleasure, and with a flick of his wrist he sent Amaya slamming into the wall.

Blood trickled down from her head down her aching back. Amaya suspected, as she fought to stay conscious, that a few of her ribs had broken. One may had even punctured one of her lungs, for she coughed up more blood and it hurt immensely to breathe. She was very low on blood, and dark spots were appearing in her vision.

The powerful shadow demon in front of her suspected her real condition than she let on in her cold emotionless exterior. He smiled cruelly, his eyes flashing in triumph. "How does it _feel_ Nightfire?" he asked her softly. "How does it feel to be filled with fear like I have many a times felt because of you?"

"I have no fear for a coward and weakling like you," Amaya gasped; it hurt too much to talk.

Paulo angrily glared at her. Amaya's katana in hand in front of him, he yelled, "Then you shall die a fool! I shall kill you and then be the one Makai and Spirit World fears!" Paulo ran towards Amaya with the blade aimed for her heart.

Nearly too close for comfort, a familiar voice up above screamed, "Spirit Gun!!" The ceiling outside the cell the two were in collapsed into rubble. Distracted by the sudden blast, Paulo faltered and so missed Amaya's heart. Yet, Amaya screamed out as the blade dug deep into her lower abdomen. Her blood-curdling scream was heard throughout the cell.

Through her half-closed eyelids, Amaya could see that Paulo was looking at the source of his distraction with a mixture of rage, annoyance, and fear. She tilted her head to look at where the blast came from. Relief filled her like cold water on a hot summer day. "Those _bakas_, they are so slow," she whispered. The smallest of a true smile touched her lips. And then an odd thing happened. She felt something wet fall down her cheeks. Was she actually _crying_? Why? Amaya was distracted herself when a pulse of pain washed over her. Her katana was still inside of her, the blade slowly cutting more muscle and tissue as she breathed in shallowly. Her dark brown eyes looked at the four boys that faced Paulo, each looking at him with anger. It was at this time, at her lowest, that she now finally appreciated them, truly trusted them.

"Amaya!"

Kurama drew attention to her pitiful form behind Paulo. A pool of her bright red blood was growing larger and larger as the liquid slid from all the wounds her body harbored. She was being held by what looked like the same attack shed used on Kuwabara many times before. A katana which the four recognized as her own was deep in her gut. Collective gasps ran through the dungeon.

The pit of Hiei's stomach dropped and his mind reeled at the sight of Amaya so broken. Yet her eyes told him that she wasn't as pitiful as she appeared to be. Her eyes, usually so cold and forbidding like the rest of her, regarded him and the others with both amusement and warmth.

--Hiei, you _baka_. You all are too slow-- Her voice inside his head was so feeble that the sound almost made Hiei wince. She was so pale, like a sheet. Hiei could feel no spirit energy radiating off of her, and her life energy was also as feeble as her mental voice. It pained Hiei to see her like this, but he admired the fact that she still had her fighting spirit, even in this situation she was in.

Hiei's fiery eyes locked onto those of the disgusting demon wearing the artifact.

Paulo saw the blood thirst in the famous Hiei Jaganshi's crimson red eyes and fear began within him began to rise. He could feel the Jagan wielder's rising energy pulsate throughout the dungeon.

Hiei unsheathed his katana in less than a second and pointed it at the demon. "Now it is _your_ turn to suffer before I annihilate you," Hiei growled viciously. Kurama wisely pulled Yusuke and Kuwabara off closer towards Amaya. This was about to get ugly in Hiei's present state of mind.  
"You best cherish your last breath in this vile place. Prepare to die!" In a flash, Hiei disappeared from Paulo's vision. The other three Spirit Detectives heard distinct slashes around the demon before Hiei appeared with them directly behind the gaping Paulo. As soon as Hiei sheathed his katana with a click, chunks of what used to be Paulo, Amaya's ex-informant, fell to the ground in a bloody heap. Kuwabara's beetle black eyes widened and he turned away, green around the gills.

Amaya, who had been battling to stay awake, took a long look at the carnage. She was very glad that the bastard was dead. She felt the shadow binds release her, and she slid down the wall into her pool of blood, her katana still embedded in her abdomen.

"Hold on Amaya!" Yusuke yelled. He, Kurama, and Kuwabara ran over to her, but were all beaten by Hiei.

"We must get the sword out of her now," Kurama instructed, his voice heavy with worry. "It may cause her to bleed more, but it's better than damaging anymore organs." He turned to Yusuke. "Call Koenma immediately for a portal!" Yusuke nodded and took out his communicator. Kuwabara unwillingly volunteered to retrieve the artifact from Paulo's remains.

Hiei kneeled to the right of Amaya who watched him emotionlessly. "I'm sorry if this hurts more _onna_," he whispered softly so as not to be heard by the others. With his left hand he placed it just below her breasts, above region where the katana was at. With his right hand, he gingerly gripped the hilt of the katana and swiftly pulled out the weapon. Amaya's eyes widened and her pupils dilated with pain, but she bit hard at her lower lip to keep from crying out, breaking the skin and tasting blood.

"Hang on for me _onna_," Hiei told her in a gentle commanding tone.

An unbidden tear slipped down Amaya's cheek. "Hiei," she whispered softly as she finally relented to the calling slumber. She closed her eyes and let sleep take her away.

"Amaya!" Hiei cried out. Don't you dare give up on me! he thought as he handed over her katana to Kurama and shook her slightly.

"Hiei, the portal's here! Let's get her to the hospital wing quick!" Yusuke shouted and jumped into the black void with Kuwabara after him.

Kurama watched a moment as his short friend very gently, as if she were a porcelain doll, pick up Amaya bridal style. Kurama smiled at the two sadly, made a quick decision, and stepped into the portal behind the two humans.

"Don't leave me Amaya," Hiei whispered to her as he sped off into the portal.


	22. Chapter 22

"What do you mean you can't heal her?"

The four boys stood in front of Koenma, the Ruler of Spirit World. Each looked confused up at the toddler in his high office chair. They had all come from the hospital wing fifteen minutes before and were all healed. Amaya was still there being treated, or so they thought.

Yusuke repeated himself again, "What do you mean you _cannot_ heal her?"

Koenma breathed in deeply and felt something, or someone, try to probe his mind. He shot Hiei a warning look and then regarded the rest of his Detectives. "I'm sorry boys, but I just can't heal her," he told them again.

"But you have the technology, don't you Koenma sir?" Kurama asked. He couldn't comprehend how the fidgeting toddler could not heal their fifth member since she did not have any real fatal injuries. _Unless they aren't attended._ Kurama's emerald eyes widened at the hidden motive behind Koenma's words.

Hiei must have thought on the same lines because he was openly glaring at Koenma, who now looked like he was caught red handed. He took a menacing step towards the toddler, fists clenched so tightly by his sides that his nails dug into the palm of his hands. "You plan to let her die?!" Hiei roared in anger.

Yusuke and Kuwabara's eyes widened in realization and they turned to Koenma in shock.

The little ruler looked around at the four faces looking at him accusingly. He sighed with guilt. "I'm sorry, but-"

"Why?!" Yusuke cut him off angrily. "She did _nothing_ wrong! She is _working_ for _you!_ How can you sit there in that big old chair of yours and let someone who practically sacrificed themselves for you to die!"

Koenma seriously doubted himself now. But then he had to show the light to his ignorant Detectives. "You all must remember that Amaya was once Nightfire," he began calmly in the face of the furious four. "Who could say that she isn't planning to escape and then try to take over the three worlds?"

"And who could say she isn't?!" Yusuke retorted.

"Yeah!" Kuwabara quipped. "She made an oath to you! I know she wouldn't break it!"

"How?! How would you know that? Because you have only known her for not even _half a year?!_" Koenma shouted back, shaking his baby fist at him. His face blazed red from frustration. His Detectives just couldn't see the danger of having a demon-an ex-convict at that!- as an ally. Who knows if Amaya would turn on them one day?

Hiei unsheathed his katana and raised it towards Koenma, eyes burning with unspeakable crimes. In a deadly voice, he ordered, "You tell those healers to save her life, or there will be _no one_ who will save yours."

Koenma looked closely at the face of each of the four boys, all standing united against him. He was waging a losing war. Koenma sighed defeatedly and reached over to the intercom regretfully.

* * *

Spirit World doctors and nurses rushed everywhere in a frenzy to meet with Prince Koenma's instructions. The boys anxiously stayed in a separate room especially for the waiting. They waited and hoped that it was not too late for the staff to save their fifth member. Yusuke and Kuwabara sat beside each other talking in low voices. Once in a while, Kuwabara would shake his head to the side angrily. Kurama sat in a chair a little ways from them observing Hiei who leaned against the wall opposite of them, arms crossed and a blank look on his face.

But truth be told, Hiei was torn inside by emotions, some he didn't even know existed in him or wanted. He felt afraid, afraid that Amaya might not pull through thanks to that sniveling toddler. Dread was striking him cold in the heart, and not having the slightest inkling of what was happening down the hallway to his left where the staff rushed in and out from Amaya's ward was driving him to the brink of breaking.

You better make it _onna_, he thought as he watched another nurse pass him. Hiei growled low in frustration. He couldn't take this waiting. He had not felt this worried for anyone but Yukina. Why Amaya? Could it really be that he did have feelings for her? Hiei looked down at the floor, his eyes dark with confusion. His head snapped up as another doctor walked out from the hallway at his left. In a flash, Hiei had the doctor up against the wall. Though short, Hiei had the man at his neck, and he was at least a few inches off the ground. The doctor gripped Hiei's arm and gave a strangled gasp.

"Tell me what is happening to her or I will slit your throat," Hiei threatened, tightening his grip on the struggling man. A hand lay on his shoulder. "What is it, fox?"

Kurama applied more pressure. "Hiei, let go of him. You'll end up killing him and we'll never know what's going on with Amaya," he cautioned.

Hiei immediately let the doctor go, and the man slid to the floor. "Speak," Hiei commanded.

The doctor shakily got to his feet and tried his best to control his coughing. Once it subsided, he looked at the four Spirit Detectives gathered around him. He managed a small smile at their concern. "There is no more need to worry boys. The danger is over, and Night-I mean-Ms. Toshi is recovering as we speak. Now, she may be sore from the stitches we gave her, especially in her abdominal region, but with her demon blood, she'll be able to take them off in about a week." To the left of the group, the medical staff was slowly trickling out of the hallway.

The boys all heaved a sigh of relief at the news. Tension was instantly lifted off the four boys' shoulders.

"Well, I'll be seeing you all around or hopefully not," the doctor chuckled jokingly. With a round of had shakes with the exception from Hiei, the doctor was off to his next patient.

Yusuke and Kuwabara glanced at Hiei and Kurama, smirking conspiratorially. "I think we should tell Boton and Keiko the news about Amaya," Yusuke excused them. Kuwabara snickered silently. They left waving goodbye to the demons.

There was an awkward silence after the humans' departure. Soon, the last of the nurses attending their friend, perhaps more than that, left the ward. Hiei turned away from Kurama and started towards the hallway, but a hand stopped him. Hiei tensed for a moment. He looked over at his shoulder and saw Kurama as the owner of the arm. "I suggest you let go now," he warned.

Kurama slowly took off his hand, an almost thoughtful look in his emerald eyes. He surprised Hiei by asking, "Hiei, do you have feelings for Amaya?"

Hiei turned around slowly to face the taller youkai. His expression was unreadable to the other. "And so what if I do." Hiei made it more a statement, a silent challenge, an honest confession to Kurama and himself.

Kurama had been expecting an answer close to that form. He smiled very sadly at Hiei. "Then you have every right to her." Kurama nodded to Hiei's questioning look. "I have come to terms that Amaya would never accept me, but you . . you and her need each other. You both just don't know how much yet; not until the time is right. I don't believe the time is now under the circumstances, but it's a good excuse to tell Amaya how you feel," Kurama encouraged him. His heart was hurting, but it was all for the best. He was right; Hiei and Amaya did need each other. He saw that back in their mission. "Don't pass this chance up. What if she were to die without you never telling her how you feel? Don't make the same mistake I did once." Kurama instantly remembered a sweet brown haired girl riding on his back when he was still in grade school, back when he first met Hiei. He had had feelings for her and they would have been returned if only. . . Kurama shook the image away.

He noticed how silent Hiei was staying and added, "Don't worry that she won't return your feelings. I can tell by the way she kissed you back in that tree. She likes you but doesn't really know herself."

Hiei snapped his head towards Kurama's retreating back, his crimson eyes deep in thought and confusion. He stood there in the waiting room for another moment before making up his mind and disappearing down the hallway to the left.

Through the twin metal doors, Hiei entered a small white room filled with beeping monitors. The long curtain draped window shone the Spirit World sunshine that had come back to the land, no longer the dreary weather it had been in the morning. Off to the left side was a fairly grey bed surrounded by the majority of the machines there. One of them, that beeped to monitor the patient's heart progress, was attached by a long wire to the female figure lying peacefully on the bed.

Hiei slowly traversed the room, feeling a little intimidated at being the only conscious person in the room. Carefully maneuvering around the machines, he stopped at the right side of Amaya's unconscious body and looked down. He held his breath, for if to breathe normally her body might blow away like sand and he would never see her again. She was still considerably pale, but at least some degree of color had been brought back to her face. Her jet black hair contrasted greatly with the white pillow underneath. The bed covers, the same dull color, were drawn up to her chest, almost covering the bright blue hospital gown she wore.

A pang struck at Hiei's heart as he continued to observe her carefully. She looked so _vulnerable_. Hiei looked closer at her face. When awake, Amaya always had a blank yet cold look upon her face, but now in her most vulnerable state, her face looked innocent; like it showed a lost girl trying to reach out to someone, anyone for comfort. The corners of Hiei's mouth twitched at that thought. Was it the same with him? He thought back to what Kurama said. He and Amaya were very much alike, though the other was very blind to see it. Maybe there was an inkling of it, a small shadow of awareness.

Amaya slowly stirred out of her unconscious state. Slowly the haze of sleep lifted from her like the morning fog giving way to the sun. Amaya's eyes cracked open, but she groaned and shut them quickly. The lights she could see pushing at her closed eyelids, the lights she could even feel, were too bright. They nearly burned her eyes. Am I dead? she wondered. A sense of dread and irritation filled her. Who the hell would put me in Heaven of all places?!

Hiei noticed the beeping of the heart monitor quicken and so did his pulses. He looked over his shoulder at the thing before looking back at Amaya in concern. What is happening? he thought. She looked fine. Yet, the calm, innocent look was replaced with slight irritation. Hiei peered into her mind. After a few seconds, he pulled out of Amaya's thoughts both relieved that there was no danger and also amused. Amaya thought she was dead . . and in _Heaven_. Hiei's lips twitched in suppressed amusement. "_Baka onna_," he said in an undertone. --_Onna_-- He softly called to her. --You are not dead. Do you think I'd let that happen?--

Amaya slowly opened her eyes once more. She was surrounded by white all around, the bed, the walls. At her right side contrasting greatly with the room stood Hiei, fully healed. Machines, many of them, also enclosed her; they were all giving her a slight migraine with all the noise they were making.

As if sensing her discomfort, Hiei took her arms and first delicately removed the wires attached to her. Amaya watched in confusion at his uncharacteristic gentle behavior. With a wave of his hand, Hiei used the Jagan to turn off all the machines.

Amaya turned her head away as Hiei looked back at her. Why was he acting like this? Was it just paying her back for the debt he owed for her saving Yukina? Hiei's warm hand extended and caught her chin, gently forcing Amaya to look into his eyes. His eyes . . . Looking into them, 

Amaya immediately knew that he wasn't acting like this, this _tender_ towards her solely because he obligated to. Why are you acting like this? she wanted to ask him.

--Hn. Are you that hidden in the dark that it's not plain enough already Amaya?--

Amaya's eyes widened in surprise and her heart skipped a beat. Hiei just said her _name!_ Funny things were happening inside of her, different feelings. Thoughts were racing so fast through her head, leaving no time for her to comprehend them. She felt scared, confused, and strangely happy all at the same time.

"_Urusai onna_ and let me kiss you," Hiei softly commanded her as he bent down.

Either she was caught up in the moment, or the fact that Hiei actually kissing her was just plain ludicrous, Amaya burst out laughing. It was that warm, deliciously feminine sound of amusement and happiness that Hiei silenced as he placed his lips upon hers. The heat of passion rose in their two bodies as the same time their wildly pumping hearts tried to match each other's rhythm. Amaya was totally blown out of her mind with his soft lips giving her shivers up and down her spine, and the his smell of musk and burning things filled her nostrils like an exotic perfume. Despite how much her mind protested slightly at this action, Amaya deepened the kiss as she slipped her tongue into Hiei's mouth. Her hands timidly placed themselves upon his muscled chest as she felt him lean forward more. Hiei's hands intertwined through Amayas soft jet black hair, pulling her even deeper in the kiss, deeper into him. His blood was turning into fiery lava that heightened his desire for her, his need for her.

It was only with both slightly lighter, and yet slightly heavier heart that he parted from her lips and stood back up straight.

Amaya watched him with unfulfilled passionate eyes as he tried to control his breathing. But if he felt the same physically like her, and she suspected he did than what his aloof exterior let on, then his heart must be racing a hundred miles per hour. Amaya ached for him now. She felt like she wanted to kiss him for all eternity. It slightly scared her that she wanted him this much. She had never wanted anyone like this before. As her heart rate slowly decreased from its tremendous speed, Amaya closed her eyes and softly asked herself, "What does this mean?"

Hiei tilted his head to the side in confusion, but knew the demoness couldn't see the gesture. "What nonsense are you talking about?" he asked only half seriously. He dared not come any closer than he already had done. Her eyes opened and penetrated his, and Hiei felt himself consumed in heat at her gaze.

"I mean, what does this mean to us?" Amaya rephrased her question.

Hiei shook his head with a small grin lighting his usual emotionless features. "What else could it possibly mean Amaya? Is there any other way to make it plainer than what I already did?" he asked in amusement.

Amaya tilted her head his way with a serious look. "Yes there is," she said. Amaya breathed in deeply and then let it out. "Hiei, tell me how you feel about me," she gently coaxed.

Hiei tensed then. Tell her? Is that what she wants? For him to admit it openly? Hiei looked down at the floor for a long moment in question.

Amaya sighed softly when Hiei looked away from her. I should have known, she thought sadly. Her heart felt like breaking. Is this what humans feel with . . love?

"I care for you Amaya."

Amaya's eyes widened and she snapped her attention to Hiei again. Their eyes met and she felt like falling into those crimson red orbs. "You what?" she asked; her heart was fluttering nervously like a dove.

Hiei leaned down and swiftly pressed his lips on hers. When he pulled away, he was certain. "I care for you Amaya," he repeated. "I never thought I'd care for anyone but Yukina, but here you are. You give me hope, light. I would never have anyone else." He looked at her nervously then. It had been hard to let on to her his feelings, but they weren't all of them. He wasn't ready to tell her. Did she even feel the same way about him?

Amaya read touched his mind and read his thoughts. She smiled then, a true smile that sent Hiei melting and his heart beating as fast as it had been when they kissed. "I care for you too Hiei," she whispered. She was tiring now, and sleep was starting to overtake her. Her eyelids slowly closed, and the last words she heard from Hiei that rang in her ears were,

"_My onna . . ._"


	23. Chapter 23

Hours later, Amaya's sensitive ears picked up at least a dozen pairs of footsteps heading towards her ward, and she opened her eyes. She could also hear the unmistakable chipper voice that belonged to Boton and the loud annoying voice that belonged to Kuwabara. Amaya slowly lifted her head like a cat woken from its nap and looked around the room. She smiled a little seeing Hiei at the wide glass windows at her left, staring at the Spirit World scenery. He didn't seem to notice that she had woken up, but his ears, twitching ever so slightly, must have figured it out without the use of his eyes; he was also aware about the approaching visitors. Amaya dropped her head back on the puffy white pillow and sighed softly, very content at the moment. She wanted to keep this moment with her for the rest of her lifetime.

Neither Amaya nor Hiei moved so much as an inch as the two metal doors burst open and Kurama, Kuwabara, and Yusuke lead Keiko and Boton inside. Seeing their friend awake, the two women ran over to her bed and jumped on top of her.

"_BAKAS!!_ Get off of me now!" Amaya screamed at the top of her crushed lungs. She was having the life squished out of her by the girls' weight! --Hiei, you _oni_! Do something!-- she tried to tell the short demon who watched the scene with amusement.

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest and smirked. --And what if I don't feel like it?--

Amaya glared at him. She tried to push off the girls, but to no avail. She was still weak, and with the added weight, she was getting the air crushed out of her lungs.

Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara walked over to Hiei with grins plastered on their faces.

Hiei side glanced at them with a raised eyebrow. "What are you smiling at _bakas_?" he grunted.

Yusuke's smiled grew bigger. "Kurama told us everything," he said and jabbed his finger at the kitsune standing to his right. Yusuke put his hands behind his head and whistled low. "Man, I hope you have a better time being with Amaya," he added under his breath as he glanced at Keiko trying to give the murderous looking demoness a hug.

Hiei glared at Kurama. --Did you have to tell the _bakas_?!--

Kurama winced at the mental force he was given the message. Hiei had given his mind an extra push. When he had recovered, Kurama smiled warmly and replied openly, "They would have found out eventually."

Hiei "hn"ed and then strode purposefully over to the three tangled bodies on the bed. In one powerful move, he had yanked Boton and Keiko by the collars off of Amaya and dropped them unceremoniously on the ground. He looked over at his _onna_ who was struggling for air.

Amaya clutched at her throat with one hand and coughed into her other. --Hiei, you _baka_! It took you long enough!-- she spat. She saw the corners of his mouth turn slightly upwards in a tiny smile, just for her. Amaya felt butterfly wings touch her stomach at the thought, and she felt the worst of her anger for Hiei diminish into nothing. She turned to the others who were watching them both with great interest, curious twinkles in their eyes that annoyed Amaya.

"What do you all want _bakas_? And when the hell can I get out of here?!" she rudely snarled. The red herring definitely shook them away from what they had seen, or would have seen, between Amaya and Hiei, the two most unlikely to show any intimate feelings towards each other.

"They wouldn't know, but I do." The doctor the boys had spoken with in the waiting room walked inside all smiles.

"Well?" Amaya asked impatiently. She propped herself up on her elbows and struggled to sit up. Hiei silently wrapped one arm around her waist and then pulled her to a sitting position. Amaya gave him a small glare, telling him she didn't need his help but Hiei just smirked.

--Weak. You're weak Amaya--

--_Urusai baka oni_-- Amaya tuned into what the doctor was saying, unaware that the others had seen everything and were smiling happily in their direction.

"-no doubt that you will be a little sore in you abdominal area for a few days. You will not use any of your powers for three days total, and tell Koenma no missions of any kind for a week. You had lost a lot of blood and energy and need time to recover. With that said, you may leave today if you wish." He turned to the rest. "Be sure to have her in bed as much as possible the three days she can't use her powers." Everyone but Amaya nodded.

Amaya rolled her eyes as Kurama shook hands with the doctor. I shall die of boredom, she thought.

--Hn. It could have been worse--

Amaya shot Hiei a playful glare which he returned with a smirk. Despite her condition, Amaya felt free, like a weight had been lifted off of her. She had Hiei to thank for that.

The doctor said his goodbyes and walked towards the door. Then stopping just inside, he said over his shoulder at his patient, "Oh and you can come get your stitches removed in two weeks Amaya." With one last carefree wave of his hand, the doctor was gone.

Amaya sighed. "Okay, let's get out of here. I hate hospitals," she muttered.

The rest agreed, eager to have their friend back home. Boton opened a portal to Koenma's mansion. Everyone but Kurama, Hiei, and Amaya stepped inside and disappeared amidst the black swirling abyss.

Kurama turned towards the other two, smiling warmly as Hiei picked up Amaya bridal-style, despite her vigorous protests to put her down. Kurama had no regrets about his decision. It was the right one. For everyone.

"Hn. What are you looking at fox?" Hiei demanded as he whipped his head backwards to avoid being hit by Amaya's fist.

Kurama chuckled. "I hope you and Amaya are finally happy . . together," he added. His chuckles grew a tad bit louder at the embarrassed faces of the two youkai. Looking to Amaya, Kurama said, "Well I think you're in good hands now so I'll take my leave. See you on the other side." Kurama winked at them and then walked into the portal.

Amaya and Hiei were speechless for a moment. Amaya turned her head towards Hiei. "Are we that obvious?" she asked nervously.

Hiei raised an eyebrow. "Scared at what they think _onna_?" he asked in amusement.

Amaya shook her head with a small frown. "No, I don't care what they think or say. It's just that . . ." _It's embarrassing_, she thought.

Hiei chuckled. "Like I said before Amaya, 'It could have been worse'." He dipped his head low and captured her lips with his. Breaking apart before they are found, Hiei walked into the portal with his light burden.

Everyone was waiting for Hiei and Amaya on the other side. They all stood in Koenma's unusually empty office aside from the toddler prince and his head helper Jorge the purple ogre themselves.

Amaya instantly felt the muscles holding her tensed as Hiei locked eyes with Koenma's. She looked at them both warily, wondering what had happened this time. The air was a mixture of relief, happiness, and apprehension as everyone looked from Hiei to Koenma, who both looked to be in a telepathic conversation.

Koenma broke the precarious connection with Hiei and looked at Amaya. He forced a smile on his face and told her he was glad she was alive.

I don't believe that for a minute, Amaya thought as she nodded silently. --Hiei, take me to my room-- she telepathically commanded him as everyone but Koenma, Jorge, and Boton left the office.

Hiei looked down at her with an exasperated and amused face. --First you don't want my help, saying that you are not a weakling. Now you want me to take you to your room like a princess. Make up your mind _onna_-- he told her. He smirked hearing her sigh in aggravation. Letting the others pass them, Hiei went down another corridor. Minutes later, they were in the hallway of their quarters. As Hiei approached Amaya's door, his burden lazily flicked her hand and pushed open the door telepathically.

Hiei dumped Amaya on the bed and crossed his arms at her. "No using your powers for three days Amaya, 'Doctor's orders'," he mimicked the happy tone of the Spirit World medical worker.

Amaya burst out laughing despite herself, but instantly regretted it as pain shot out from her stomach. "_Kuzo!_" Amaya cursed as she slowly laid back on her bed and closed her eyes. She put a hand over her stomach protectively. She heard Hiei's soft footsteps walk out the door and close it behind, leaving her to rest.

Not that she would. Amaya snapped open her eyes. She rolled off her bed and carefully steadied herself on her feet. She took a ginger step towards the bathroom door and collapsed on the smooth wooden floor. Grunting, Amaya determinedly got back on her feet and this time she managed to wobble over to the bathroom. Turning on the lights, she stood in front of the bathroom sink, both hands firmly on each side of the counter sink to keep from falling again.

Amaya grimaced at her reflection in the mirror. She looked terrible. There were faint dark circles under her dark brown eyes, and she was as pale as the hospital gown she still wore. Her jet black hair, looking closely like Medusa's with the exception of the snakes, really stood out against her skin, accenting her almond-shaped eyes. Amaya almost felt as terrible as she looked. Her stomach region was still throbbing, and she felt slightly nauseous. Amaya removed her left hand off the counter and lifted the gown high up to her chest area, exposing her abdomen. Amaya winced. Along her stomach, at least three inches long, was a row of stitches where Paulo had missed and shoved her katana through her stomach.

"My katana!" Amaya gasped as she spun towards the door that leads to her bedroom. The momentum caught up to her, and Amaya crashed onto the tiled floor. Amaya rolled onto her back and laid there for a moment, staring blankly at the white ceiling as she tried to compose herself. Stupid, stupid, stupid, she thought repeatedly. Her first katana, gone.

"Amaya? What are you doing down there?"

Amaya recognized the owner of the voice as Kurama. She rolled her head to the side where the door was. Standing there watching her in confusion was Kurama. Her dark eyes trailed down his right arm where he held-

"You have it!" Amaya gasped once more. She was instantly on her feet and walking over towards the fox demon, who was very surprised by now at her actions. In her haste, motion got the best of her, and she started to fall forward.

Kurama's emerald eyes widened. He dropped her weapon and stretched out his arms. Amaya fell into his waiting arms, and nearly knocked out the breath from Kurama's lungs. He staggered under her weight, but managed to steady the both of them. He looked down at her with a smile on his face. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Amaya ignored him. She roughly pushed off of him and bent down for her fallen katana. She cradled the precious weapon close to her body as if it were a living thing.

Kurama watched this moment of humanity with wonder. "You really care for that sword," he stated plainly.

Amaya looked up at him with eyes full of happiness. "Of course," she said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Waving off Kurama's offered hands, Amaya helped herself towards the bed. She sighed with content as she sat down and placed her katana across her lap. She looked up at Kurama who still stood at the bathroom door. "Did you retrieve it?" she asked.

Kurama nodded. His eyes widened slightly seeing a small smile, full of not malice but a true smile, appear on Amaya's face.

"_Domo arigato_," Amaya thanked him humbly.

Did Hiei do this to her, or is it just because that weapon is of paramount importance to her? Kurama wondered.

"I have reason to believe it's both," Amaya answered him.

Kurama smiled. "So it's true then?" he asked.

Amaya nodded soberly. She took up her katana and first examined the sheath. Amaya frowned deeply as her eyes landed on the deep split on the dark wood. It ran from the bloody cloth wrapped around the mouth of the sheath down midway. With a split this deep, it was not a fixable thing. The sheath was now useless. It saddened and disappointed Amaya.

"May I ask how you had come to have the katana in your posession?" Kurama ventured.

"Genkai gave it to me," Amaya said softly. She heard all the rumors that her sensei was dead from the hands of the late Toguro. This, and some of her fighting techniques, was the last Amaya had to remember her teacher by.

If it weren't for Hiei getting rid of Paulo, I would have made sure myself that that bastard paid the price in blood, she thought bitterly. Along the train of thought, the image of Hiei and Koenma, both deep in telepathic conversation back in the office, passed her mind. Amaya turned to Kurama, who had a sense of what she was about to ask him.

"Yes?" he asked politely, playing it safe.

"Something happened while I was unconscious," she stated bluntly. "Tell me."

Kurama sighed and looked towards the window. He looked back at her. "How should I explain this?" he asked.

"With the whole truth," Amaya asserted, and after a moment added, "And don't leave out anything to spare me. I don't need pity."

Kurama nodded and explained that Koenma had at first refused to allow the Spirit World staff to heal her. "Hiei and I had figured out why and argued with Koenma. Yusuke and Kuwabara caught on and added to the disagreement." Kurama smiled sadly. "It should make you happy to know that particularly Yusuke and Kuwabara defended you."

Amaya looked down and hned softly. She had unsheathed her katana half way, and her thumb stroked the engraved phoenix at the base of the blade. After a long time, Amaya looked back up at Kurama. "_Domo arigato_ Kurama," she thanked him once more. "To you and to everyone."

Kurama smiled and nodded. "I'll leave you to rest," he said. With a wave of goodbye, Kurama walked out her room.

As the door closed shut, Amaya slid the rest of her weapon in its broken sheathe and laid it gently at the foot of her bed. Amaya slowly got up and stumbled over towards her window. The dark curtains rustled as she pushed open the two window doors. Amaya breathed in deeply the light breeze that washed over her. Her senses were filled with the spring pine of the forest around the mansion and an interesting scent of mountain water, perhaps from an underground spring.

Amaya slowly lowered herself on the windowsill and leaned her back against the side. She closed her eyes against the never-waning Spirit World light, letting the relaxing warm wind flow over her like velvet, whipping her shoulder-length, jet-black hair in all directions. Though looking tranquil on the outside, inside Amaya only slightly felt the calming spell she had put on herself.

_If Koenma wants me as an enemy, then so be it,_ she thought as sleep starting pulling her down in its depths. _He will not win against me. If he does not want my trust, then so be it. I never needed his trust. If he does not give a damn about me, then so be it. It's not like I ever gave a damn about him. But no matter what, I shall have the last laugh, the last word_.


	24. Chapter 24

Hiei stepped out of his room into the hallway the next morning. He shut his bedroom door with a snap and stepped over to Amaya's door. It was unlocked. He opened the door and found an empty bed. Hiei shook his head, not knowing whether to berate himself for underestimating Amaya's stubborn streak or be amused because of it.

"She'll be the death of herself one day," Hiei grumbled as he closed the door and began walking towards the cafeteria.

Upon entering the half full cafeteria, Hiei quickly spotted Amaya near the back.

Amaya looked up from the bowl of miso soup she was drinking, having felt Hiei's spirit energy. She looked around and found the demon walking over towards her. At Amaya's left was Yukina, eating a simple meal of rice and steamed vegetables. She watched Hiei joined them, sitting on Amaya's other side.

"Took you long enough to figure it out," Amaya greeted him.

"Hn," Hiei grunted and quickly took a floating tofu out from her bowl. He smirked seeing her eyes narrow at him.

Yukina, who had watched the display with happiness, smiled. "It is good that you two have found each other, Amaya-chan and Hiei-san!" She looked directly at Hiei who was trying to avoid her eyes, so like his own. "I was telling Amaya-chan how glad I was for you both before you came, Hiei-san. I hope you two will be happy forever!" she told him enthusiastically.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Hiei saw Amaya give him a half-smile. --What are you smiling at _onna_?-- he asked her as Yukina went back to her food.

Amaya smiled wider. --You should tell her, you know. About being her brother and all--

Hiei's eyes widened only for a split second and then returned back to their normal state. He snatched another tofu from her half-finished bowl. --Hn. That's not possible-- he replied curtly.

--Whatever you have done in your past Hiei, Yukina has a kind enough heart to put aside all that. She did it to me-- Amaya reminded him.

--Hn. The difference between you and me, Amaya, is that I am her blood relative. Now you stop giving me anymore sympathy. I don't need it--

Amaya side glanced at him through half closed eyes. She was silent for a long moment, and when she sent him her reply telepathically, her mental voice was full of apology. --_Gomen nasai_ Hiei-chan-- she said solemnly. --Yes, you do not need any form of sympathy, for what does it give us? All I want you to know is that you should tell Yukina before there is a time when it's too late-- she cautioned him. And with that, the subject was dropped. Amaya finished the rest of her soup and snapped her fingers, making the bowl disappear in front of her.

Amaya stood up slowly and turned around.

"Where are you going Amaya-chan?" Yukina asked worriedly. She had heard from the others late last night about her friend's injuries, and when she had found that Amaya was safe, she was by herself with joy.

Amaya looked over her shoulder at Yukina, her very first friend and smiled. "I'm going out. Did you think I'd just stay in my room?"

Yukina protested. "But the healer said-!"

"I'll go with her Yukina," Hiei said, and rose up from his place at the table to assert his statement.

Amaya nodded. "I'll see you later," she told the ice apparition. With Hiei at her side, Amaya stiffly walked out of the cafeteria, for she her legs were still a little weak from lack of use.

"Where are we going _onna_?" Hiei asked for the fifth time as he helped her down another set of stairs. He was getting annoyed once more at her stubbornness at not wanting help from him.

"We are going outside," Amaya said, nodding towards the glass doors ahead of them that were the entrances of Koenma's mansion. "And stop helping me! I'm not a weakling!" she added irritably.

"Hn," was all Hiei said as he took it upon himself to suddenly carry Amaya bridal-style. Before she could protest, Hiei quickly ran out the doors and into the forest.

The speed Amaya found herself in was refreshing as the air rushed past them, cool and crisp, sending her hair flying into her face repeatedly. When Hiei had finally stopped, Amaya found herself standing, on her feet, in front of a small pond surrounded by oak trees. Amaya turned her head to the left and saw Hiei by her side, staring down at her. She felt almost hypnotized by his crimson eyes.

"Where are we? This couldn't be Spirit World . . but I can't leave with out-" Her dark brown eyes widened in realization.

Hiei smirked seeing her figure it out; the loophole. "Without Koenma or any of the _Spirit Detectives'_ permission," he finished smugly.

Amaya let the obvious condensation slide and walked over to the edge of the water and looked down. She saw her reflection and frowned at it. I do look hideous in this weak form, she thought, careful that her mental barrier was up to keep Hiei from reading her mind. Amaya sighed. She took off her cloak.

Hiei caught the long black material thrown to him and watched with wide eyes as Amaya began to remove the top she wore. "What are you doing?" he demanded as his eyes shamelessly followed the movements of her hands.

Amaya threw her shirt at him so she was now wearing her skin-tight pants, shoes, and a sports bra. She looked at him out of the corner of her eyes, even as she still faced the pond. "To swim, of course," she stated. Amaya also threw him her katana and began to unbutton her pants.

Hiei looked away, down at the water for modesty's sake. "You are still weak," he stated emotionlessly.

Amaya smirked at the hidden concern, concern he wasn't ready to show openly. She turned to him and noticed that he wasn't looking at her anymore. "I'm not weak _baka_. Stop babying me." Her pants fell to her ankles, and Amaya stepped out of the material and removed her shoes and socks, now only in her underwear. Small weapons lay in a pile far away for safety.

Hiei grunted under his breath and dropped the garments at his feet. He said, "I do not baby you _on_-" Hiei's eyes widened in surprise and the breath was taken away from him as he saw Amaya, half-naked, in front of him. His eyes roamed her body at will, taking in her slender legs, her middle, full curves, and her flat stomach. He stopped at a scar on her left shoulder and remembered that time in the Makai bar when they fought. It seemed too long ago, a hundred years ago.

And then Amaya was gone from his line of vision. She walked closer to the edge of the pond, aware of a pair of intense eyes watching her every move. With a deep breath, Amaya plunged head first into the cold water. She closed her eyes in enjoyment and swam around for a while before going up for air. Air rushed into her lungs like a rejuvenating drug, chilling her lungs to the core, but invigorating her. It was one of those rare moments for her where she felt so alive. Pushing her hair away from her eyes, she turned to Hiei who leaned on an oak tree with his arms crossed, still watching her.

"Hiei! Come in!" she shouted joyfully. "It's so much fun!"

Hiei smirked and shook his head. "I don't want to end up looking like a particular soaking rat demon I see right now," he called.

Amaya rolled her eyes at his lack of enthusiasm. Fine then, she thought as she swam around some more. Feelings of found mischief began to surface and spread through her veins. If he wants to be Mr. Party-pooper, then I'll let him!

Hiei watched as Amaya took another deep breath and dived down once more. Foolish _onna_. She is weak and needs rest, he thought. Was he worried? No. It was she who should be worried for a quick recovery. But then as time passed and Amaya still had not come up for air, Hiei began to feel restless. What is she doing? he wondered as he walked closer to the water. The dark surface was calm, and the place where Amaya last was floating from was not disturbed by air bubbles. Hiei remembered that the last time he had seen any was nearly three minutes ago. _What if she . . .? _Hiei was undressed in under a minute with his katana still strapped to his side. He ran towards the water and leaped to the spot where he had seen Amaya.

The cold water hit him like a ton of ice cubes on a hot summer day. Refreshing and invigorating. Pushing the thoughts out from his mind, Hiei swam deeper into the pond searching for Amaya. Yet, almost five minutes later, he still had not found her and was forced to go back up for air. Almost halfway to the surface, something grabbed him by the ankle. Hiei let out a stream of air bubbles in surprise and then twisted around to see the culprit. Among the air bubbles that floated up the water around him, he spotted, to his immense relief and annoyance, the dark hair that belonged to Amaya. At the center of the curtain of dark hair, Hiei could see Amaya smiling widely and inwardly growled.

--_Baka onna_! Next time I'll leave you to drown!-- he swore as he swam closer to her.

Amaya smirked and swam into his waiting arms before they surfaced, kissing him deep. "Scared Hiei?" she asked when they had broken the kiss.

"Hn," Hiei muttered and scarlet crept up his neck. He let go of her and began to swim back towards shore.

"Aw, Hiei! Just when I finally get you in the water you have to leave!" Amaya whined like a small child at his back. She did not see his smirk at her out of character behavior.

Hiei looked at her over his shoulder. "Get your bum out of the water _onna_. You still need rest." He walked out of the water and held out a hand to her.

Amaya sighed softly and conceded. She started making her way towards Hiei when she felt something slimy grab her ankle. Amaya's eyes widened and the last thing she heard was Hiei's wide-eyed, silent cry of alarm as she was plunged back into the water.

"Amaya!" Hiei called out as the last of her disappeared into the water. Is this another trick of hers? he thought as he waited for a minute to let her resurface. His heart pumped faster as he remembered the look on her face when she was pulled down. She had been surprised and scared. No! That meant it wasn't a joke, and that means-

Hiei once again dived into the water. Not having even fully gathered his wits, he spotted Amaya far below him trying to pull free from a length of seaweed wrapped around her ankle. Hiei rolled his eyes and swam closer.

Amaya lifted her head and spotted Hiei swimming towards her, a smirk so smug across his face that she wanted to slap it off of him. --Don't you dare come near me _baka_-- she told him venomously. She didn't need his help!

Hiei lifted his eyebrow at her futile efforts to free herself of the plant. --_Baka onna_, stop being so stubborn-- he reprimanded her. Hiei unsheathed his katana and cut through the seaweed. Amaya glared up at him and began to swim away. Hiei sheathed his katana and swam after her.

Amaya breathed in deeply the refreshing cold air as she surfaced. Ignoring the fire demon that had just come up beside her, Amaya began to paddle towards shore. A hand grabbed her by her arm and she was turned around. Amaya's eyes locked with Hiei's, and she managed to avoid their usual magnetic affect by glaring at the lips that curled into a smirk.

Hiei lifted her chin and caught her lips with his. He felt her struggle against him, but Hiei just wrapped the arm that had been holding Amaya's own around her small waist, making Amaya immobile. Amaya finally gave in and relaxed against the demon, moaning in pleasure. They both were thrown into a heated furnace as the kiss deepened, and the water practically boiled with their rising passion. Amayas hands at first timidly began to explore the broad, tight muscles of Hiei's chest, and then as her confidence rose simultaneously with the kiss that now involved their dancing tongues, her hands took Hiei by each side of his head and brought him closer, eliminating any more space that was in between them.

Slowly but surely, Hiei and Amaya were unaware that they were slowly sinking back into the water. Amaya was the first to realize this, being just slightly shorter than Hiei. She unwillingly pulled away from the kiss and brought her nearly half-sunk head above the water, breathing hard through her nose.

Hiei watched Amaya with new found hunger. Her face was red with lack of oxygen and embarrassment, her mental guard was open to him. Her red lips were bruised at the intensity they had been kissing, and her dark eyes flashed with hunger that matched his own, with unsatisfied passion, and with a deep lust. Hiei felt himself grow hard and looked away from those eyes.

"Hn, we have to go back lest the others send out a search party," he grunted. He and Amaya swam the rest of the way and put their clothes back on. Amaya turned to Hiei and silently held out her hand. Hiei picked up her katana. He started to hand it to her when he noticed the bloody white cloth wrapped around the top of the sheath. Hiei and Amaya's eyes met, and the latter smiled as she took back her precious weapon. Amaya pulled the cloth off and threw it to the ground. She watched as Hiei conjured a fire ball and threw it at the discarded material, watching as it was engulfed instantly and curled black. Amaya started walking back to the mansion.

"Do you even know where to go?" Hiei asked as he caught up to her and matched her step for step.

Amaya side-glanced at him. "No," she said bluntly.

Hiei smirked.

Amaya gasped in outrage as she was suddenly picked up bridal-style once more by Hiei.

"_BAKA ONIII!!_" Amaya's yell echoed throughout the forest as she and her demon sped back towards Spirit World.


	25. Chapter 25

Amaya opened her eyes and looked up at the full moon in the night sky. The wind lightly caressed her naked face and whipped her short hair in all directions like a loose veil. The wind brought the taste of upcoming spring in the Human World, just rightly so for all Amaya could smell was the budding cherry blossom trees around her and her home. _Her home._ Yards away was the plain home erected on wooden posts she had built herself. Amaya was proud of her work on the house, for it constantly reminded her of how she came to be if not for her enormous will to survive. Leaves on the cherry blossom trees moved with the wind and some were even carried in its wake. Amaya felt a calm wash over her, almost making her forget for a moment that she had been training. She silently thanked Hiei for showing her the loophole in Koenma's "brilliant" plan to keep her tame in Spirit World.

It was near midnight, too late for her to be outside in the middle of the remote forest where her home was located in, but she didnt care. It's been a week, a whole week of slowly regaining her strength. She reflected on how humiliating and frustrating it had been to know that the boys were training without her, going on missions, however small, without her. She didn't give up trying to come with them though, especially in the first few days of her vulnerability. It was only when Koenma, and telepathically Hiei, threatened to lock her up in the confines of her room long after she was fully healed that she reluctantly stopped. She had sulked many times over the week, even after she was allowed to be up after the three day period was over. It was only until two days ago had she remembered about the loophole, and at midnight had she taken to escaping Spirit World to her home to train.

Amaya knew it was risky, the whole sneaking out business. She was certain Koenma still didnt trust her, but then she had come to terms with that and accepted it. He wasn't the one she worked with on the missions, and frankly, she was very thankful for that. Of course, Amaya couldn't really blame him for not trusting her, given her past. Yet, it was still annoying how the toddler persists in having at least one of the boys watch her, especially Hiei for obvious reasons. Amaya rolled her eyes at that thought as she blew a strand of a neon red streak of her hair away from her blood red and obsidian eyes. She missed being in this form because it just gave her unexplained confidence. Of course it could be that this was her most powerful form, but she didnt think it was that obvious. Not one of the boys has seen her in this form save for her eyes. It was better that way; saves for fewer complications on her part.

Amaya focused back on training and gripped the hilt of her katana in her left hand. The silver blade sliced through the air with a practiced precision, glinting under the moons light. Amaya moved as if in a choreographed dance, almost gliding on her toes across the forest floor. Kicking it up a notch as her confidence grew, Amaya used her psychic powers to gather large stones from the forest and suspended them mid-air. With a casual wave of her right hand, though in truth this feat needed much concentration, Amaya sent the stones hurtling at her. She sliced at the rocks and dodged the ones that were too close for her blade to attack until the last one was cut in half and she lowered her weapon. All around her were pieces of rock, too many of them enclosing her. Amaya sheathed her katana in its broken scabbard and smirked at the thought of what today meant. Changing into her humane form, Amaya made her way around the rocks and shadowed to the Spirit World hospital wing.

Amaya stepped out from behind a metal door and found herself in the main office. Sick and injured humans and demons sat or scuffled around the room. The humans shot suspicious looks at the demons and the majority of latter did the same. Amaya could normally understand why the majority of demons still hate and despise the humans for she was in the same boat, but right now as she walked past everyone, she didn't care. Amaya walked up to the front desk and knocked loudly on the window, startling the dozing nurse.

"I am Amaya Toshi, and I was a patient here a week ago. Could you tell me where I can get my stitches removed?" Amaya attempted to ask as politely as she could muster, though she swore she felt a muscle in her jaw twitch.

The nurse looked at Amaya as if she had talked in an alien language. "Do you know what _time_ it is?" she asked indignantly.

Amaya narrowed her eyes dangerously, insulted. In an icy voice, Amaya said, "Yes, I do know what time it is, but I still need these stitches off. Now, _tell me what I need to know_."

The nurse looked at Amaya this time with fear in her eyes. The demons and the humans who were psychic turned warily towards the demon at the front desk whose energy pulsated through the room, creating a stir between the two factions. "Y-Yes of course, the nurse stuttered." She pointed to her left. "Go right down that hallway and look for the room labeled Recuperations." The nurse then turned to her computer and typed something in. Without taking her eyes off the screen, she told Amaya, "I have informed your doctor and he will be waiting there for you."

Without a word of thanks, Amaya moved off towards the direction the nurse indicated with feelings of intense dislike for hospitals of any kind coming over her. She found the room called Recuperations and entered. Inside, the same doctor that had attended her a week ago stood by an operation table at the other side of the room, surrounded by machines that clicked and beeped.

The doctor smiled widely showing straight, white teeth, as Amaya cautiously walked in. "Amaya Toshi! Just in time!" He patted the table beside him. "C'mon and lie down here, and we will begin as soon as possible. I can tell that you are very anxious to get rid of those stitches!" The doctor guffawed warmly. He continued to make small chat as Amaya laid on the cool metal operation table. He pulled towards her a tray full of surgical items. The doctor didn't seem the least bit perturbed at Amaya's lack of enthusiasm for conversation, but he must have been used to that in many of his patients by now. He appeared at Amaya's right side with a curious tweezer-looking instrument in his right hand. "By the way, I'm Dr. Carter. Now, I want you to close your eyes now and I will begin. You may feel a slight soreness for at least an hour or two after this procedure. Other than that, you'll be good as new," the doctor informed his patient.

Amaya stayed silent and after a moment's hesitation closed her eyes. Simultaneously, her body instinctively stiffened as she let her guard down this third time in her life.

* * *

"Hey, do any of you know where Amaya could be?" Boton asked the boys. They were all in the cafeteria eating breakfast save for Boton who had just joined them. Spirit World morning sunshine shone through the windows and lit the entire room, to a great irritation to those few shadow demon spies working for King Enma and his toddler son. Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama shook their heads at the Grim Reaper. None had seen Amaya. Earlier Kurama had knocked at her bedroom door and had not only found the door unlocked, but the room was empty. They were worried.

Hiei sat at inside one of the many wide windows a few ways from their table, not touching the food Kurama had brought to share with everyone. He was secretly worried himself, though for much more definite reasons than the others; reasons that he wanted so much to deny right now. Worry was making him sick and irritated inside. Where is that _onna_? he wondered. Hiei looked out into Spirit World through the window with a tiny frown on his brow. He regretted ever showing her the loophole. Even if he had known her for not even three months, Hiei could get a feel on what Amaya could be possibly doing with the information. Blasted _onna_, Hiei cursed. When I get a hold of you- Hiei sensed a presence near him and felt their gaze on his back. "What do you want fox?" he grunted, not looking towards his friend.

"I know you're worried about her too Hiei, but don't think she's left us," Kurama said.

Hiei tore his gaze away from the forest and glared at the kitsune. "What makes you think that I am worried about her?" Hiei growled, fists clenched tightly. However, his eyes betrayed him and he knew that. Hiei looked quickly away. "Let me be Kurama," he demanded.

Kurama opened his mouth to reply when someone cleared their throat at them.

"Koenma, where the hell did you come from?" Yusuke exclaimed in surprise to the toddler that stood before them.

A vein appeared at the temple of the prince's head. "This is _my_ mansion! I have a right to be here!" he yelled. Several demons at the tables close to theirs recoiled away from the angry prince.

"Well you don't have to yell!" Yusuke shouted back.

Kurama stepped in between them with hands raised. "Yusuke, just calm down," he said.

"I am calm," Yusuke muttered and settled back in his chair.

Koenma took a deep breath and straightened up. He looked around the group as if searching for someone. "Where is Amaya?" Koenma demanded when he didn't see the cloaked demon. There was an undertone of suspicion and fear in his voice as his eyes darted to each of the group.

"I'm right here baby-butt," came a feminine voice from behind. Koenma jumped out of the way in surprise, revealing the rest of Amaya to the group. She leaned on her left leg, her hips attracting the unwanted attention of the male demons around her. Amaya looked exhausted, though she did try to hide it. Her dark hair framed her pale face like half-closed curtains. Despite how she held the image of looking weather-worn, her eyes held amusement and a secret as they looked at Koenma. Amaya looked around the bright cafeteria and wrinkled her nose in disgust. Why is there so much light? she thought.

Hiei stared at her with curiosity and feeling a bit peeved inside. He wanted to know where she went. Koenma seemed to be in the same boat.

"Amaya, care to explain where have you been?" Koenma asked with false politeness, but anyone within hearing distance could hear the bite in his tone.

Amaya rolled her eyes, not wanting this. It was too early and she was tired as hell. "All I did was get my stitches taken out," she explained lazily as she walked past him and took a seat close to Hiei at the window, facing him. She turned her head towards the simmering toddler and tilted her head to the left as if daring him to challenge her statement.

Koenma glared at her, not liking it one bit that she had deliberately showed disrespect towards him, but he had to accept what she told him as valid. Snubbing her, he turned to the four boys.

--You had the others worried _onna_-- Hiei told her as Koenma began to explain to them that Team Uremeshi had once again been called to participate in a tournament.

Amaya looked at Hiei out of the corner of her eyes, still focused on the baby prince. --Even you Hiei?-- she asked tentatively. She hoped he had also worried about her.

Hiei chose to ignore the question, but he knew Amaya could feel from their telepathic link that he had. --Where did you really go?--

--Training-- came the blunt reply, and yet it still held a tone of mystery.

Hiei also felt vibes of hurt coming from Amaya and he felt slightly guilty for not telling her that he also had been worried. --You can't hide anything from me Amaya-- Hiei warned her to distract her from reading his thoughts.

Amaya squashed the hurt she felt and smirked impishly. --Wanna bet?-- she taunted as she turned her attention back to Koenma.

"So there can only be four people in a team?" Yusuke asked to make sure he heard right. "No substitutes?"

Koenma shook his head to verify it. "None," he told him. He further explained the rule, "If you happen to lose a team mate by death or fatal injuries, the team must fight with the remaining three."

"No way!" Kuwabara exclaimed.

"Is there some sort of catch for entering in this tournament?" Kurama asked.

Koenma thought for a moment and after a moment shook his head. "Not that we know of. So I'm just assuming that it is for only prizes-"

"_Prizes?!_ We are _so_ going to win!" Kuwabara exclaimed. Yusuke smacked him upside his head and shouted for him to be quiet.

"Who are the four that's going to participate?" Boton yelled above the two humans. That got everyone's attention. Well, everyone except Amaya. She turned to the window and stared moodily at the River Styx.

Hiei noticed this and then spoke up. "Let's leave the _baka_," he suggested, jabbing his thumb at Kuwabara. "We don't need anyone weak."

Kuwabara was on his feet in a flash and stomped over to the demon. "I am NOT weak you _shrimp_!" Kuwabara yelled indignantly. "Why I oughta-!"

"That's enough!!" Koenma barked before the carrot top teen could try to do anything to Hiei with his raised hands. "I have already made my decision," Koenma announced and all eyes were on him. A look of uncertainty passed his face before being replaced with hard authority. "I am sorry to say this," Koenma turned to the lone figure next to Hiei who still refused to look at him, "but Amaya, you are not to participate in the tournament."

Instantly, shouting exploded from Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei.

"You can't-!"

"-part of the team!"

"How can you-?!"

"Why should we be stuck with the _baka_-?!"

Amaya's reflection rolled its eyes at her. Turning away from the window, Amaya put to fingers to her lips and blew hard. The shouting was instantly drowned out by the ear-splitting whistle erupting from the demon. Half of the cafeteria turned their surprised attention towards Amaya.

She threw a dark look towards the unwanted attention directed at her before focusing her own attention back to the boys. "It's ahh, a _lovely_ gesture to stand up for me, but I don't do well with team mates," she told them. "You all should go. Koenma may want me here to take over your missions. Right, Koenma?" she asked the prince. They were fake: the question, the forced light tone in her voice, her cold smile, and the glint in her dark eyes as she stared unblinkingly at the toddler. The boys and Boton all knew it was a charade, but no one wanted to voice out their opinions.

Never breaking her penetrating gaze, Koenma slowly nodded. Koenma could see the inner fire in her eyes, a hidden devil caged in waiting to be released. He suppressed shivering and snapped himself back to reality. Koenma cleared his throat. "Yes. I will have Amaya do any mission that would arise when you four are in the tournament," he said firmly.

Amaya nodded. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Hiei eyeing her but ignored him. She still felt hurt because of him. "Don't worry about me." She smirked. "Just win. That's all I ask." _If they can._ She stood up from the window and began walking towards the cafeteria entrance. Over her shoulder, she told the group, "Now that we are done with this little chat, I'm going to rest now." She left the group silent after her departure.

Koenma eventually left with a final word for the boys to drop by his office later. The boys kept silent with their thoughts to themselves. It was Boton who ventured to say something, "Well, I think we should all go out somewhere since this may be the last day we have together!"

Kurama smiled, attempting to make the best of the situation. "Sure Boton. Are any of you up to it?" he asked the others.

Yusuke and Kuwabara nodded. Everyone turned to Hiei who "hn"ed.

"Yes or no shrimp," Kuwabara said, still remembering the offence Hiei had said of him earlier.  
Hiei glared at the carrot top and stalked off.

"Nice going Kuwa-_baka_," Yusuke said sarcastically.


	26. Chapter 26

Once in the confines of her room, Amaya walked towards her bathroom and stripped off her clothes. She ran the shower and let the water heat up as she observed any more damage to her skin. The removal of her stitches only left her with pinprick punctures along the middle of her stomach, but she was not really concerned with them. With her demonic blood, they would close and heal in time with no scars. Amaya touched the small scar on her left shoulder, a constant reminder of the little episode with Hiei on her. It seems as if it will never heal, even with her demon blood.

The warm water cascading down her sore body was an immense relief to Amaya as she closed her eyes in relaxation. She closed off her mind from letting certain telepaths from reading her thoughts, and dark thoughts they were. She hated Koenma and his lack of trust; even a little would suffice. If he thinks she would keep quiet and play the replacement "Spirit Detective" for the boys, then he was dead wrong. Amaya tilted her head into the falling water, letting the wet warmth soak her entire body like flames licking at her skin. She thought how ironic that was, considering she was a fire demon. With a flick of her wrist, she felt the water temperature drastically rise so that there were huge white clouds of smoke coming from the small corner where she and shower were located.

Amaya stepped out of the bathroom, dripping wet from head to toe and clad in only a dark red towel. Her dark brown eyes widened in shock as they landed on a male figure sitting at her open window.

Hiei turned his head away from the shocked demon, but not without a look at her curved figure that left him with erotic thoughts conjuring in his mind.

Amaya was enraged at his thoughts. The water on her skin evaporated into steam at her rising body temperature. "What the hell are you doing here _baka hentai_?" Amaya growled through clenched teeth.

Hiei snapped his head towards her to give an angry retort, but regretted it instantly. He was at lost for words. In front of the bathroom door, Amaya stood with the dark red towel hugging her every curve and left only half for the male imagination. Her full breasts swelled dangerously above the towel, and her dark hair, a contrast against her pale skin, was still damp and clung to the sides of her face. Hiei felt his body respond immediately, clenching hot at the pit of his stomach and growing so hard that he thought he'd soon lose his cool and control.

Amaya saw the lust in Hiei's eyes and shook her head in disgust and in amusement. "Ah the male mind. How easy it is to manipulate it," she muttered darkly. But Amaya was also responding sexually to Hiei's plight. Her blood was turning into molten hot lava, and her pulse raced as he slowly stood up from the window and walked over to her. Her eyes widened as she found herself backed up against the wall next to the bathroom door by Hiei's gentle hands. She could smell his scent, the smell of burning and so masculine, and it drove her senses wild. She wanted him, and it drove her insane to know that she was in his hold, his mercy of pleasure. Amaya clung to the towel, her last feeble protest of self-preservation.

Hiei leaned forward and said huskily in her ear, "Am I a 'stupid pervert' now Amaya?"

She shivered as his hands held her by the shoulders, and he pressed so close to her that there was no virtual way she could move away from him. She looked up at him with lust in her eyes that mirrored his. Her lips were parted in such a suggestive way that Hiei could resist no longer. He bent his head down to drink them in. Amaya's left hand let go of her towel and clung onto the collar of Hiei's black cape. She moaned as he prized her lips further apart and swept his tongue into the cavern of her waiting mouth. His fingers ran through her short, wet hair. Amaya whimpered in excitement and uncertainty. She had never done anything this remotely intimate before, and it scared her not only how she responded with so much yearning for Hiei but also because she was scared of what would happen if they continue in this insanity. Somewhere in between the haze of lust, Hiei sensed Amaya's hesitation and read her thoughts. He broke the kiss and looked deep into her dark passion-filled eyes.

"Is this what you want?" he asked awkwardly. Truth be told, he had never done anything like this either. He was letting his instincts guide him every step of the way.

Amaya bit the bottom of her lip. She saw Hiei's eyes intense at her vulnerable gesture and felt herself fall into those dark crimson eyes. She wanted him; wanted him inside her, however maddening the thought was. The towel dropped to the floor at their feet.

Hiei pulled Amaya away from the wall and gently guided her onto the bed. Amaya telepathically locked both the window and her bedroom door. With a flick of her wrist, she closed the curtains on the window, dimming the light in the room. She could see Hiei clearly however, having the advantage of being part shadow demon. Hiei removed his cape, and then his shirt before climbing onto the bed and into Amaya's waiting arms. He felt her hands quickly work to relieve his throbbing manhood from their confines. Her hands slid his pants down to his knees, and Hiei kicked them off so they were both as naked as the day they were born.

Hiei wasn't in any hurry. They both had all night. Everyone else was getting ready to go to the Human World to party. Hiei and Amaya wouldn't be really missed, and Hiei made sure Kurama covered for them.

Amaya gasped out loud, and she shivered in pure pleasure as Hiei began to slowly lick first one nipple and then the other with his hot, velvet tongue. She cradled his head closer to her, suppressing giggles when his hair tickled her neck. Amaya bit her bottom lip hard as Hiei began to suckle upon her breasts and tasted blood. Hiei raised his head. He saw the dark liquid trickle down her chin and his gut instantly clenched tighter. He felt his member throb all the more and discomforted him. He needed release. Hiei whispered a warning telepathically as he began to clean up the blood and suck on her bottom lip, earning more satisfying moans tilting out of Amaya.

He ran a delicate finger over her clit and instantly felt her hips come up to meet his hand. Hiei smirked and pressed his lips into hers as he slowly pressed his index finger through her clit and into her love sheathe. Amaya gasped in pleasure and quickly moaned as Hiei's finger slowly pumped in and out of her. She was so hot, so tight. Hiei never would have contemplated that. But what to do now? How to proceed? She came for the first time in her life, cried out her release. The sound was so arousing to Hiei's ears that he wanted to hear more, mixed in with his own as he released for the first time too. She watched with lust in her eyes as he licked off her fluids clean from his finger. Their eyes locked onto each other and she knew what he wanted. Hiei positioned himself fully between her legs, pushing the limbs and gaining a clearer access. Amaya closed her eyes and held on tight to the bed sheets. She whimpered as a flash of pain swept over her, but it was over, replaced just as quickly with something so indescribable that it left her on the brink of faliing over the edge. Was this love? the back of her mind that was still clear to think asked. It was _making_ love for sure, but was it what the humans say it is? It was like a joining of souls, _their_ souls. It was so close to an out-of-body experience that Amaya at first thought she had died. She wasn't just Amaya Toshi anymore. She was Amaya-and-Hiei. He kept her inner flame from going out, and she gave him back the light.

Amaya instinctively wrapped her legs around Hiei's torso, giving him a better access to go deeper into her. He gripped onto her hips and thrusted hard, loving her whimpers of ecstasy as he built a steady rhythm. Hiei cried out in triumph as his seed spilled into her, thundering at her walls so that she came in a heartbeat later. Shock waves vibrated through their bodies in the aftermath. Hiei pulled away from her and landed softly next to her on the bed. Amaya breathed deeply and hoped her drum beating heart would slow down, fearing she'd get a heart attack if it didn't. They were exhausted and covered in sweat, but felt exhilarated from the experience. Amaya slowly turned over so that she and Hiei were face-to-face. Hiei lovingly pushed away a strand of her dark hair away from her equally dark eyes. Amaya closed her eyes and delved deeper into the pillow even as Hiei drew her closer to his warm body.

She snapped her eyes open hearing Hiei whisper, "I _did_ worry about you, Amaya."

She inclined her head up so her eyes could meet his. He was sincere. She could see it. Amaya smiled softly and leaned forward to press her lips on his. She pulled away and said, "It's good to know that Hiei." She chuckled seeing his eyes glare at her.

Hiei couldn't stay annoyed at her. He let his expression lighten. "You _baka onna_. You are impossible," he remarked gruffly. He smirked seeing that it was her turn to glare at him.

Amaya rolled her eyes and then hid them behind her eyelids, tired and feeling soreness not only from her abdominal area where the stitches were removed but in the area between her legs. "Admit it, you love me _baka oni_," she yawned.

Hiei waited until he was sure she was asleep. Her last words affected him deeply. _Love?_ Did Hiei the Jagan Wielder, the _Forbidden One_ of Koorime in fact, love this _onna_? Hiei thought hard about it while he stroked Amaya's hair out of her face as she fell slowly asleep, looking up at him with her heart evidently in her eyes. He carefully propped up himself on his elbow and looked down at her peaceful features. No malice. No coldness. It was just full innocence. Hiei closed his own eyes and sank back into the bed. "I love you _onna_," he whispered.


	27. Chapter 27

Amaya woke up and sat up in her bed. Beside her, Hiei still slept, limbs spread out to take up almost half of the bed space. Amaya looked down at him and a soft smile touched her lips. Hiei looked just like a kid without the emotionless look he usually had on his features. It warmed Amaya's heart. She checked the time on the digital clock beyond Hiei's outstretched hand and saw that it was very late, almost eleven at night.

With a sigh, Amaya carefully slipped out of the bed and quietly walked towards the bathroom, picking up the discarded towel on the way. She started up the shower and stepped in.

When Amaya stepped out of the bathroom, fully clothed with her katana strapped to her side, her eyes went immediately to the empty bed. So much for not trying to wake Hiei up, Amaya thought wryly. As she walked around the bed, trying to get to the open window, she stepped on something. It was a letter addressed to her. The letter sailed from its spot on the carpet to Amaya's outstretched hand. It was written by Kurama.

_Dear Amaya,  
Kuwabara, Yusuke, Boton, and I are going to the Human World with Keiko to have some fun before we have to leave tomorrow, and also I have visit my human mother. I don't think we will be back until very late so don't you and Hiei wait up for us. Have fun yourselves, by the way.  
Kurama  
P.S. Do try not to get in trouble with Koenma, alright?_

Amaya smirked. That fox, she thought and burnt the letter, watching as the white paper curled black and then slowly became nothing but ash. She turned to the window, licking her bottom lip. She could still feel the cut she had made biting hard on it. Amaya strode over to the window and leaped out and onto the wide branch outside. She searched the area using her senses. Koenma was currently figuring out a problem that had risen at the Gate of Judgment far from the mansion. Amaya's ears pricked with the constant shouting of the many ogres that worked for him. She turned to the left of her window towards Hiei's own. Her lips curved into a small frown. There was something very odd. She could not sense his spirit energy in his room much less hear the breathing of its inhabitant. Where is Hiei?

"Hn. I think you are getting soft _onna_."

Amaya's eyes widened in surprise and she whirled around. Hiei leaned casually on the trunk of the tree with arms crossed and a smug smirk on his face, clothed in his usual manner as well. They were both night shadows, but however, since Spirit World was full of perpetual sunshine, they were a sore eye in their settings.

"Where are you going?" Hiei asked emotionlessly.

_Why weren't you in bed?_ The question hung wordlessly in the air and Amaya had to keep from laughing. "Training," she replied. She remembered when she and Hiei had first kissed and smirked.

Hiei read her purposely open thoughts. He saw her smirk as she remembered what they had shared on this same branch. His eyebrow rose in question as Amaya began walking over to him, her hips swaying suggestively. Her dark eyes danced in mischief as she closed the distance between them and put her hands on his chest.

"What are you up to Amaya?" Hiei murmured as he looked down at her with fathomless eyes.

Amaya slowly raised herself on tip toes. The tips of their noses lightly brushed each other. A small, coy smile played on her lips. "What do you mean _oni_?" Amaya pressed her soft lips on the slant of his and felt her body heat flare up. She was remotely aware that Hiei's hands held onto her hips, bringing her even closer to his hard body. Amaya cut the kiss short as she felt something hard poking at her thigh. She pulled out of Hiei's embrace and smirked at his windswept look.

"Catch me if you can Hiei," Amaya challenged. She stepped off the side of the branch and melted into the trees shadow below.

Hiei shook his head violently to clear off his thoughts, cursing the sly demon. Hiei leaped off the tree, landing neatly on a bent knee, and then sped into the forest.

Amaya knew her time was soon up with Hiei's spirit energy quickly advancing towards her. She was so close to the famed River Styx that she could see it beyond the trees where she ran. Hiei was faster than her when she was in this humane form. Blasted humans and their weakness, Amaya thought as she tripped over a tree root. She stretched out her left hand and expertly front flipped, catching herself on her feet. Amaya kept running. It was thrilling to be the "hunted" again, although it this situation could hardly be called a hunt.

Hiei was now upon her. She was three giant leaps away, but he closed the distance between them in no time, leaping past the last of the forest trees. He tackled her to the ground just feet away from the River Styx. They tumbled on the ground, vying for the one to pin down the other. Amaya's eyes widened as Hiei's hands grabbed hold onto her wrists in a vice-like grip. In a split second, instinct took over and she kicked out hard at Hiei's chest.

Hiei back flipped in mid-air and landed on his feet. He glared at Amaya as she stood on her feet, brushing dirt off her clothes. "Hn. _Baka onna_, that was cheap. Even for you," he huffed.

Amaya unsheathed her katana and positioned it in front of her, the blade parallel to her body. A small smirk played around her now cherry red lips. "Come and get me then," she challenged once more.

Hiei unsheathed his own katana and took a step forward in response.

* * *

In the Human World, where the time zone was different from that of Spirit World and Demon World, it was just the start of noon. Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama took care of their businesses before they would all meet up with Keiko and Boton at a local club.

Yusuke was trying to "delicately" explain to his young single mother Atsuko Uremeshi where he would be going for the next month. And she in turn was scolding him about always never being home anymore.

"But _maaa!_" Yusuke whined to his mother as he fixed an afternoon tea for them both. Steam rose from the kettle, reddening his face, but it could have also been from keeping his temper in check with his impossible mother. It didn't really help that she was in one of her drunk spells.

"You are never home! Where are you all this time?! Did you just decide to abandon your mom!" Atsuko prattled in a drunken haze. In her hand was an empty bottle of sake and the other was balled in a fist. She wore only a skimpy black nightgown and was laid out in front of the television in their only bedroom. There had been a fire long ago that burned their part of the complex they lived in. That was back in the days where Yusuke was still stuck in limbo with Boton, not only the Grim Reaper but also a messenger for Koenma. After staying a while at a hotel, Yusuke and Atsuko had moved back in the apartment once it was rebuilt. "What if you die again?!"

Yusuke made a face at his reflection on the shiny side of the black kettle. _Jeez mom. Why do you have to get your bum drunk today,_ he thought. Yusuke prepared the tea, poured it in the china cups, and carried it in a tray towards his mother. "Ma, you know I'd never abandon you," Yusuke tried the humble approach. Atsuko was liable to throw things when she was in this mood. "I won't die. You know I wouldn't do anything that stupid."

Atsuko seemed to simmer down at his words of comfort. She set the bottle down and grabbed a tea cup, downing the scalding tea in a matter of seconds. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and fixed her chocolate brown eyes steadily at her son. "I want you to win Yusuke," she told him with surprisingly no trace of a slur to suggest that she had been drinking. "I _know_ you are gonna win 'cuz you are my son!"

Yusuke nodded, smiling inwardly at his mother.

* * *

Close to their junior high school, Kuwabara and his three friends walked down the streets. Kuwabara, the tallest of the whole group, had informed his sister Shizuru about the tournament and that he would be gone for a while. She in turn told him good luck and that he had better come back in one piece.

Kuwabara and his friends were making the most of the time they had left until Kuwabara would leave. Again.

As they passed the front entrance of Sarayashiki Junior High School, one of Kuwabara's friends kicked at the wall under the sign next to the entrance that had the name of their school. They were all in their last year of their junior high, going on to Sarayashiki High School the next year.

"Man, I can't believe you're skipping school again for a tournament Kuwabara," one of them told their leader and friend.

"Lucky dog," another said.

Kuwabara waved a hand, brushing off the comments. "I don't wanna think about it right now," he said. "Let's just have some fun before I have to meet up with Uremeshi later on."

A raspy voice called out ahead of them, "We'll show you fun by beating you guys to a pulp!"

The four Sarayashiki Junior High students' heads snapped towards the five boys ahead of them on the sidewalk and recognized them immediately.

"Kasanegafuchi Junior High," Okubo, the largest of Kuwabara's friends, muttered.

Kuwabara smirked over his shoulder at his friends. "Hey you guys, let's show these punks how they should never mess with Sarayshiki and then hit the arcade!"

"Yeah!!"

* * *

On the other side of the city, the reputably good part of the city, Kurama a.k.a. Suichi Minamino gave his mother a white lie of an explanation of where he would be the next month.

"It's for a scholarship opportunity Mother," Kurama explained as he helped his mother outside their suburban home tending to the plants. "I must stay at a host's home for the next month." He didn't let on anymore details and he hoped his human mother didn't ask for more.

Shiori Minamino smiled up at her handsomely taller son. "I am so proud of you Suichi," she told him in a motherly tone and her son felt it. "I understand." With plant sheers, she clipped a few roses and tulips from their garden.

Kurama gently took the burden from his mother's hands and placed them in the wicker basket he held. He loved his human mother for she had taught him the meaning of love and compassion. Both he had truly felt for a limited few. Again, an age old image of a small girl with very short mousy brown hair and huge, curious brown eyes floated into his mind and filled his thoughts that he almost missed what Shiori had asked.

"Yes mother?" Kurama asked apologetically.

Shiori smiled warmly, forgiving him. "How would you like some tea before you meet with your friends?" she repeated her question.

Kurama smiled and nodded.

* * *

A small wooden boat full of wisps of spirits floated leisurely down the Styx River. At the bow of the boat stood a young ferry girl with a flame of red hair talking animatedly to one of the spirits. The girl, a worker under Boton, looked up at the sounds of fighting at the right side river bank. Her eyes widened in surprise seeing two demons fighting it out using their powers. One of them was the infamous Hiei, the Jagan Wielder, and the other seemed almost like a sister of hers with the demon's short mane of red hair that reached down to their shoulders. The female demon was lobbing fire balls at Hiei Jaganshi, the attacks coming closer and closer as each missed their target that everyone in the boat could almost feel the heat of the flames.

"LOOK OUT!!" the ferry girl screeched as one of the fire balls zoomed past her head and landed in the water with a hiss.

Amaya snapped her head towards the direction of the river, distracted. She heard the soft, fleeting footsteps belonging to Hiei and snapped her head in his direction. She was too late to dodge the punch he aimed at her face and fell hard on the ground. Floating away from them, the passengers in the boat yelled obscenities at the demons. Amaya groaned and lay there on the cool grass. It had to be at least two in the morning. She was tired. Very tired. Amaya looked up at the bright blue sky with her blood red eyes. It was a perfectly cloudless sky. And then it was blocked from her view as her eyes were held in Hiei's gaze, looking down at her from the left.

"Are you getting up or what?" he asked coolly.

Amaya closed her eyes and stayed silent. She heard Hiei sigh softly and move away. Amaya sighed herself and then slowly got back on her feet. She turned around and saw Hiei waiting for her next to the tree they had called the base to keep their possessions at. At the base were their cloaks and katanas. Amaya walked over to the tree and picked up her katana. Her brow furrowed as she looked at the split wood in her sheathe, as it had done the many times she had taken the time to examine her beloved katana.

She looked up and met Hiei's eyes. "When do you all leave?" she suddenly asked. With that, she kicked their things to the side and plopped down at the base of the tree with her katana still in her hands.

Hiei looked down at her with fake exasperation. With a grunt, he sat down next to her and looked off towards the famous river. "This morning," he grunted, aware of the time.

Amaya nodded silently. She was also looking at the river. Another boat floated down it towards the Gate of Judgment. Amaya's thoughts began to drift and she wondered for the millionth time in her life where her parents were. Were they even alive?

"Do you know anything about your parents?" Hiei suddenly asked, having read her unprotected thoughts.

Amaya was irked but she did nothing to shield her thoughts from him. "No, except that they did not want me," she said.

The coldness in her voice when speaking of her parents was so intense that Hiei could almost feel it. He could also understand why. He is a Forbidden Child, a child of the Koorime that had not been wanted by their kind because of the way he was birthed. That and he was also male. Koorimes were only women. Yukina, his half sister, is a Koorime child.

Amaya took his silence as an advantage to finally vent about her past. "I don't care though, about them I mean. If they are dead, the better for me. They abandoned me and I survived. I grew up ironically in the Human World, having to fend for myself. I met Genkai one day when I was a child struggling to survive and she helped me leash my wayward powers. I soon found out how to travel between the Human World with Demon World with my shadow powers."

"And your assassin job?"

"I was just a mercenary for higher," Amaya replied with a shrug. "I hate humans because when I was young, humans would look down upon me like filth. Some even tried beating me up or setting dogs on me for no apparent reason at all. I had retaliated once I could control my powers, but then once the authorities became involved, I had to hide." She turned her head towards Hiei and was captured by his waiting crimson eyes. Amaya lost her breath for a moment before taking air back into her lungs and asking him, "Have you thought about telling Yukina-?" She was cut off when Hiei pressed his lips gently against hers to silence her. Amaya gave up trying to press the issue between him and his sister and gave into the warmth and passion Hiei's lips promised. She wrapped her arms timidly around his neck even as he wrapped his around her small waist, both drawing the other closer. Amaya's katana lay at her feet forgotten. She moaned as he nibbled at her bottom lip, opening her mouth to let the muscle of his tongue slide in. Her breath was taken away and she closed her eyes, letting this raw feeling take over as their tongues danced.

They finally pulled away, out of breath and hearts thumping hard in their chests. Amaya fastened her katana to her side and slid on her cloak. She stood up and looked down at Hiei with a sly smile playing on her lips. Hiei recognized the look and was on his feet in an instant, his own cloak covering him.

"Care to race _oni_?" Amaya dared him. Hiei smirked and replied that he was the sure victor. "On your mark, get set - HIEI JAGANSHI! YOU CHEATED!!" Amaya shouted as Hiei disappeared in front of her in a blur before she had finished. Amaya stood stock still for a long moment feeling pissed off. --What's the matter _onna_? Too fast for you?-- Amaya instantly simmered down and smiled. "_Baka_," she whispered and chuckled.


	28. Chapter 28

Hours later in the Spirit World, Amaya slowly roused herself awake as soon as the rays of Spirit World's perpetual sun hit her skin. Amaya cracked her eyes open and rolled her head to the left side. She was surprised to only see an imprint on the white pillow next to her instead of the figure belonging to Hiei. Amaya sat up on the black, silken bed she lay on and looked around. The room was dark, decorative wise and very plain with only the essential furniture. To the right was a wooden door that led to the bathroom more likely. Amaya was in Hiei's room.

"Looking for something _onna_?" a passive voice spoke in the direction of the window to her left.

Amaya snapped her head towards his voice and saw the owner sitting on the windowsill. He was shirtless, the light hitting on his skin to give him a nice tan look and making him manlier than ever. Hiei's crimson red eyes were illuminated with the light and were the first to capture Amaya's attention. He wore only his black pants, katana strapped on the belt, and his white bandana. He smirked as Amaya tried to decently cover her sports bra and panties that she had been sleeping in.

Amaya did not make a witty comment as she would normally have done but softly asked, "When are you leaving?"

Hiei's smirk dropped and he felt an unfamiliar wave of sadness try to wash over him as he stared into Amaya's dark brown eyes. Hiei hardened his heart against her and tore his eyes away. He was battling the wave of sadness, an inner turmoil full of guilt bubbled in his gut. "Hn, in an hour," he grunted emotionlessly.

Amaya nodded, understanding him in more ways than what he had said. Hiei needed to rebuild a wall around his heart; the same wall she had broken through. He couldn't afford to let his emotions get in the way of his training and fighting in the tournament. However, his new coldness still hurt Amaya. She touched his mind and felt the struggle he was in. She was also fighting the same one. Could she really go through with her plan?Amaya slid out of bed and gathered her things. She walked over to Hiei and stared down at him. He would not look at her. Amaya sighed softly and then shadowed out of his room into hers.

Hiei buried all his emotions, knowing that those things were not needed in the upcoming tournament, and began to pack. Thoughts of Amaya began to slip into his head unbidden, try as he might to keep them at bay. Hiei growled and squashed another image of Amaya, her smile. I must _not_ become soft, he thought. There could not be any mistakes for his sake and the sake of his reputation.

Soon he was finished, and everything he needed was packed in a duffle bag. Slinging it over his shoulder, Hiei zipped towards Koenma's office. The office was eerily quiet with the lack of the usual chaos found in the room. However, Hiei wasn't the only one there. On the contrary, he was the last one to be there. Koenma stood next to his desk with Jorge the purple ogre next to his short boss. Kurama was chatting with Boton and the humans Yusuke and Kuwabara were fooling around.

Koenma's gaze was now on Hiei and the spot light was momentarily put on him. "It's nice to finally see you Hiei," he commented dryly.

"Hn. Let's get this over with," Hiei replied.

Koenma turned to address the other three boys. "I will be giving you a portal to Genkai's temple. Genkai will help train you-"

"Oh _great_," Yusuke muttered sarcastically. No matter how many times Genkai had been the cause of his immense power and that he was very thankful to her, the thought of training with his sensei once more was a horrible thought.

"While you are there, Amaya will be set to the task of doing any missions you all will miss during training and the tournament." Koenma looked around and noticed something amiss. "Where is Amaya?" he asked. She was not in the room. Koenma sighed in aggravation. "Jorge and I will be there during the tournament to give you moral support," he finished simply.

"And I shall be bringing the girls!" Boton exclaimed happily and threw up her hands in the air.

Koenma nodded, but only reluctantly. The thought of what the boys would do, especially Hiei, if the girls were to get into any danger like in the Dark Tournament was a petrifying thought. "Train hard and good luck," he added.

A portal appeared in front of the desk. Boton waved cheerfully to the boys as they passed, wishing them all the best and good luck. Hiei looked over his shoulder at the empty doorway where he almost half wished a certain demon would appear to see him off. Hiei looked away and stepped into the portal before it closed on him. Boton returned to her duty of ferrying spirits to the Spirit World and the usual chaos in Koenma's office returned.

At one point, a lone cloaked figure shadowed to the office unnoticed in the far corner. Her dark brown eyes observed the scene for a moment, considering the possibilities of a little distraction for them all before clearing the act of mischief out of her mind. She walked over to Koenma who was approving some of the papers that were piled upon his desk. Amaya felt isolated from the scene, where everywhere was turmoil, but only she was calm and collect. Deja vu.

"Ahh Amaya. It's good that you are here."

Amaya snapped her attention towards the toddler that observed her quite carefully over his intertwined fingers.

"I have a mission for you," Koenma continued. "You, of course, will be doing this mission solo. Given that the fact that the boys will be participating in the tournament, more crimes will be committed." He gave her a long, calculating look, and then said slowly, "I am giving you my trust Amaya. You must understand this. I am counting on you to do this mission by yourself. You have proven yourself enough for me to finally consider the fact that you are a changed demon."

Amaya was stunned by his words, not expecting them in the least. He trusted her now? She was half dizzy with relief, but a part of her wanted to be cautious of Koenma's newly found trust in her. Amaya collected herself quickly. "What is my mission?" she asked.

Koenma nodded. "You mission-" He directed Amaya's attention towards the screen to his left. It clicked to life to reveal a picture of a silver necklace. A pendant that hung from it was oval shaped with a cross in the middle. On each point was a blue jewel, and embedded in the middle of the cross was an amethyst stone. "-is to retrieve this necklace. It is called the necklace of Henka. It was stolen yesterday by a low level shape shifter demon as we were transporting it from the lab." Koenma tossed Amaya a small remote. There was a screen showing a map of the Demon World, and somewhere in the kingdom belonging to Yomi, one of the three Rulers of Demon World and ex-comrade of Yoko Kurama, in the plains region. Towards the borderline between Yomi and Mukuro's territory, a green dot blinked.

"A tracking device was put on the necklace. The amythist you saw on the necklace is the tracker," Koenma explained.

Amaya looked up from the device. "Henka as in 'transformation'?" she interpreted.

Koenma nodded. "From what studies have concluded, the holder of the necklace can transform into anything. Plants, animals, people. There is, however a danger to that. For example, if the demon were to transform into you, they will be you in every way. That includes your powers. The only way he could transform into you is by simply touching you. As you well know, there is an aura that is constantly surrounding us. If that demon were to touch you, thus gaining a small part of you aura, he can change into you."

Amaya's eyes widened at the possibilities of acquiring the necklace. This opened another door, another factor to take account into her plan. But there was also the danger of what the demon could do with it, as Koenma just mentioned. What if the low-class demon were to touch a strong S class demon? "When do I leave?" she asked. The tracking device was out of sight in the pocket of her cloak.

"Now. We need that necklace back as soon as possible. Who knows what that demon has in store with it?" Koenma told her. His features were etched with worry. Koenma was worried about what his father, King Enma, would do to him if he were to find out his son had a powerful artifact taken out of his hands.

Amaya nodded. She turned on her heel and strode out of the room. As the golden doors clicked shut behind her, a smirk appeared under her hood. "Perfect," she whispered. Taking out the tracking device, Amaya started her hunt. And her plan.


	29. Chapter 29

The air was deeply disturbed. The smell of blood and ash tainted the Makai World air while at the same time, the screams of terror and pain echoed throughout the small city in between the borderline kingdoms of Yomi and Mukuro.

High up on the balcony of a tall building, stood Amaya. She surveyed the city with its bright, multi-colored lights flecked all around. Down below, demons of all ages ran past her building from the right, crying out in fright for their lives. Some were even wounded badly. Amaya watched each demon under her hood with impassive eyes. They were not her concern. She turned her head towards the direction they ran from and spotted amidst the swirling city lights thick, black smoke rising up from one of the high buildings identical to the one she stood on. The building which the smoke came from was on fire. The flames gave the dark night sky an eerie red glow, combined from the faint red light coming from the full, red moon behind it. Dark clouds above either signified that a storm was forming or that the black smoke was cumulating into something that would have the potential to kill all the inhabitants of the city.

"_That_ is my concern," Amaya whispered. She stood straight, observing the hellish scene before taking off into a run. At the edge of the building, she leaped into the air and rolled onto the roof of the next building. She kept up this pace, this rhythm, for three other buildings until she skidded to a stop on the building next to the one on fire. She stepped closer until she met the edge of the roof and crouched low. Down below, demons scattered the streets, many trying to run away from the cloaked figure slaughtering the majority with a bloody machete, smaller than a katana but much larger and deadlier than a knife.

"It's Nightfire! Nightfire! Ruunn!!" the demons yelled.

Amaya glared at the imposter, hating him yet wondering how the shape shifter could possibly change into her without having touched her. Amaya stood up and sucked in her breath. She stepped off the ledge and came hurtling down in a pencil dive. The ground, with the spilt blood of demons, came at her, and she bent her legs to cushion her fall. The ground under her feet vibrated from the velocity she had descended from. Amaya swung her short hair away from her line of vision and straightened herself. Instantly she spotted the culprit: her imposter. The shape shifter was dealt yet another unfortunate demon a blow with the machete, creating more of a bloody mess. It was silent now, save for the crackling of the great inferno that would eventually turn the building into nothing but ash.

Amaya walked towards the shape shifter and turned them around. Her blood red with obsidian flecked eyes stared back into her own. The imposter's eyes widened in surprise and took a step  
back.

"How did you become me?" Amaya asked coldly. She began to walk calmly towards the culprit, menace and vengeance in every step. Far away, the sounds of sirens were coming closer towards their location.

The shape shifter matched her step for step as he walked backwards, away from the frightening ex-assassin. He thrust out with his other hand a simple kunai knife, but Amaya could recognize it as her own.

"You shouldn't be leaving your toys for others to _play_ with," the demon said and threw the knife at her feet. He had stopped moving away and now held his ground. He seemed to have regained his confidence and was smirking under the hood.

Amaya fixed her cold eyes upon him. "You may have my powers, but that does not mean you know how to _use_ them," she spat. Amaya lifted her hands and slowly pulled back her hood. The shape shifters eyes, her eyes, widened knowing what would come next: his death sentence. "Now you shall see the face of _death_," Amaya whispered.

Then she was out of his sight. The demons heart rate rose higher and higher as he spun around, vainly trying to look for Nightfire. His hood fell off in the process. He could not find her; he could sense her spirit energy everywhere and it distracted him on where was her exact location. Then, he could sense her coming to his left. The shape shifter spun on his heel and swung his machete out in front of him.

Amaya flipped over the sharp weapon just in time, only receiving a shallow cut across her chest as she sailed over his head. She reached out and felt the warm metal clasp that held the necklace around his neck. In the second before she landed on the ground behind him, she unclasped the chain and took the artifact. As she knelt behind the shape shifter, he yelled out in anger and fear as he changed back into his regular body. When Amaya turned back, she encountered blond, blue-eyed demon cowering under her gaze.

She disappeared once more and reappeared behind him. "Who sent you?" she asked.

The demon closed his eyes and let the grip on his weapon slacken knowing death was knocking on his front door. "K-Kisei," he stuttered.

That was all the information that Amaya needed. "Very well then," she said. Amaya closed her hands over his ears and shouted, "Nightmare Syndrome!"

The demon screamed out in agony and clasped the black glowing hands. His blue eyes rolled back so the whites were showing and then turned black. His mind was full of tormented images so horrible and powerful that he subconsciously felt the wounds being inflicted on his body. He was losing his mind. An image projected from those murderous hands was of a middle-aged man. His lungs were bursting and he was spitting up blood. The shape shifter tasted the metallic liquid coming from within him, and then his heart, with a last image, burst.

Amaya removed her hands from the corpses head and let the body drop in a bloody heap at her feet. She looked down at her blood-stained clothes in disgust. "Messy demons," she murmured. Snapping her fingers, her clothes were clean again. The small cut she had received from the shape shifter didn't need any special attention. Amaya held up her new accessory. The purple amethyst stone gleamed with the other blue gems on the pendant. Amaya pinched the purple gem with her thumb and forefinger. The tracking device fell to the ground in pieces.

Amaya placed the necklace around her and covered it with her cloak. For a moment she looked around at the destruction, and then at the body of the shape shifter. She snapped up her head at the closer sounds of wailing sirens; her get away signal. She disappeared into the surrounding darkness, away from the crime scene. Her real work was just starting.

* * *

A cloaked figure walked down a narrow alleyway. The Makai red moon tinted the night sky with supremacy; the flames from the burning building were gone. A single slender finger ran along the jagged left wall until it passed through a section near the dead end of the alley. The fleshy, feminine lips curled up at the corners, and Amaya walked through the wall.

The underground tavern was a humble, yet secretive establishment where a traveling demon could rest. Or find get the latest gossip from willing, but price-demanding resources. The owner was a well known demon called Khan. He was an A class demon that, if occasion arises, can kick ass; especially those who disrupted his alcohol business. There weren't many demons that could consume alcohol, but it was all a cover up anyway for top secret gambling and a chance for demons to rough-house. Khan didn't mind the rough-housing that much as long as it didnt get in the way of his real business of making money off travelers.

No one recognized Amaya as she stepped into the especially crowded room, the first and top floor of many underground. The source of the excitement, as she drew closer towards the bar, was a crowd pleasing death match between two drunken demons. Bystanders had formed a circle around the battling demons, both of expertise in the element water, and half were jeering at them while the other half took bets to see who would be the victor.

Amaya shook her head at the antics of moron demons. Really now, why must they have to go towards barbaric ways of entertainment like that? she half wondered as she slid onto a stool at the bar.

Khan, the owner, was the first and only one to notice her. "Well, haven't seen you in a while," he said conversationally. Khan had known Amaya ever since she was a rookie at her assassin job, and he knew her pretty well. He was not afraid of her. "I heard that you got finally captured by the Spirit Detectives."

Amaya tilted her chin up defiantly, bi-colored eyes flashing. She smirked, "You should know better than to listen to the grape vines that talk of me."

Khan chuckled. He was still young; 450 years old in demonic years, but in human years just a mere 27. He was 12 human years older than Amaya. "Nightfire, don't you be playing me like that. Remember, I was the first person that got to know you. So I know all your tricks," he told her.

Amaya rolled her eyes and threw a glance at the crowd surrounding the battling demons. It seemed to have grown larger with more spectators. She turned her attention back to Khan. He braced himself on the clean bar counter and leaned forward, waiting.

"Okay, I did get captured by them," Amaya said in a low voice so as not to be overheard. "I made a bargain with that prince toddler to not kill them and help with their missions for the rest of my life in exchange for not sentencing me to death - don't you give me that look Khan! I'm serious!"

Khan ran a hand through his jet black hair and sighed. If anyone could compare those two, Amaya without her cloak and in humane form with Khan, anyone could mistake them as brother and sister. "I just can't believe you got off that easy, he said in disbelief. He shook his head and fixed his mud brown eyes at the younger demon. "And so why are you here?" he asked cautiously.

"I need your help," Amaya said quickly. Who knew how much time she had wasted there? "The Spirit Detectives are at the tournament. Surely you have heard of it."

Khan nodded.

"All you, or I should say _I_, need to know is the whereabouts of Nightwing is."

Khan looked at Amaya like she was crazy, but the dead-serious look in her eyes told him otherwise. Nightwing was a name feared by many demons. Some say he was the male counter-part of Nightfire; both spawned from the same nest of destruction and blood. Koenma would have surely kept massive records on the demon-slayer. Two years ago he had found a portal to the Makai, and it took a good part of three months to track him down. Yet it wasn't before the mass killing of 6,000 demons or more. Amaya knew only what she had learned over the four years he had been at his work; a year before she started her assassin job. All she knew was that he had a bitter vendetta with the demons and that he was an exceptional fighter. The only real problem besides his cooperation, that was key to her plan's success, was that he was a human.

"Are you sure you want to know?" Khan asked.

Amaya ignored his concern. Before the Spirit Detectives, before _Yukina_, Khan was the _only_ demon who had ever showed her what caring meant. She always knew there was a soft spot for him waiting to be bait for hungry carnivores against her hard shell, but no one will ever find out. Not on her life would she be sent down in shame because she allowed her cold heart to warm up. "Cut me the crap and tell me where he is," she demanded.

Khan sighed in aggravation. "Fine, fine. If you want to die, go ahead! All I have heard is that he resides in America in a city the humans call Boston, he said the last word in discuss. Obviously he wasn't too big a fan of humans. He had a special prejudice against them because of the infamous, underground Black Black Club."

Amaya tilted her head to the side, thinking hard. "Do you know anything about a demon named Kisei?" she asked finally.

Khan thought a moment, and then nodded once. "I've heard a whisper of a low level A class elemental demon named Kisei. He isnt well known in the Makai; hasn't even made a real name for himself here, if you know what I mean." Khan let out a breath and fixed Amaya a questioning look.

"I had to kill a demon, and he told me he worked for a demon named Kisei," she replied bluntly. There was no use beating around the bush with Khan. He was a strong telepath that trained her to harness her own telepath abilities.

Khan nodded. His brow was knitted in a furrow, like he had a burden on his mind.

Amaya smirked and slid off the seat. She turned around on her heel. Roars of approval and disappointment rose, but over her shoulder she told Khan over the din, "I am not going to die Khan. I can't die. Yet."


	30. Chapter 30

Hidden deep within the dark night shadows that Boston, Massachusetts seemed to harbor, Amaya silently observed the middle-aged, Japanese American man that walked through Olmsted Park, one of many parks that made up the tourist-favorite Emerald Necklace. The park was a combination of meadows, woodlands, and ponds. Amaya had no trouble keeping a safe distance from her prey. He was of average height with long, spiky black hair that fell down in all directions. He wore a heavy, black leather jacket with white fur at the collar and a plain white shirt underneath. At the bottom of the jacket was a wide leather belt with silver studs. Skin tight, leather pants nearly covered his heavy combat boots, but the boots did not seem to hinder his slow, calculated pace that seemed to scream menace and isolation. At his side was a rather large katana at least a meter long. The man was built tough and rugged. He would have been considered handsome once, but it seemed a horrible experience in his past has hid his inner light well with a mask of pain and hatred, mirrored tenfold by his dark, hawk-like eyes hidden by his hair.

The woodland was quite silent and still. Not many animals seemed to be living in this part of the woods. Soon, the oak trees that once surrounded Amaya and the man seemed to morph into thin-trunk weeping willows. The dirt path under their feet disappeared to be replaced by worn asphalt. It led them to a stone footbridge over a pond with dark iron railings. Amaya stayed next to a willow tree, red and black eyes narrowed warily.

The man continued on towards the footbridge.

Amaya worked at carefully entering his mind, accessing his memories. His name was Kamuro, Kamuro Masaki. He is also known as Nightwing. At age 39, he was a widower with a teenage child. But where was his child? An alarm seemed to have gone off in Kamuro's head, as if he had sensed her unwelcome presence in his head, and with a forceful mind push, Amaya had the delicate connection with his memories broken.

Amaya drew a sharp breath. Her head was pounding with the mental push she had received. Nightwing must have been skilled at being able to repel mind readers, especially strong ones like Amaya. He's very much worthy, Amaya thought as she turned to look towards the bridge. Her eyes widened in panic, seeing that he was nowhere in sight. Damn it! She appeared in the middle of the stone bridge, stiff as a board, but her eyes moving wildly about her. She cursed herself for her carelessness, half cursing Yusuke and Kuwabara with no reason for her lack of awareness.

Her ears then picked up something quick coming towards her. She tilted her head far to the left, narrowly missing her head being severed from the rest of her body as a small boomerang shaped as a bird flew past her head. The invention arced across the air, slicing it as if it were pudding, and flew past Amaya's other side. The demon slowly turned around towards the entrance of the bridge she had come from. There, at the end, was Nightwing.

He pointed a finger at her. "Why were you following me demon?" he demanded. His voice was harsh and cold. "Do you have a death sentence?"

"Well, if this meeting was for the sole purpose of killing you, you think I'd have already Kamuro? Or would you prefer Nightwing?" Amaya asked slyly.

Nightwing took a step closer so that the gold pendant he wore glinted from the soft rays of the crescent moon above the two figures. He slowly drew his katana and held up the blade in an attacking position. "Answer me now so you don't have to prolong your death," he spat venomously.

Amaya chuckled at the impudence of this human, but she was also very impressed at the high concentration of spirit energy he seemed to have. Right now wisps of violet energy was rising from him and enclosing his body without him being the wisest. It was just that he didn't know or was aware of how to use it. That could be remedied.

"I have come here with a proposition that you will find to your liking," she told him.

"I do not and never will make deals with you despicable demons," Nightwing hissed.

Amaya's hands twitched, as thoughts of just taking the child of this human and then black mailing him would be a much better approach, yet she kept her temper and thoughts in check. "I want you to fight in my team for a tournament being held in the Makai, or Demon World in a month's time."

Kamuro's hawk-like eyes were hard black coals glaring at the demon whose only open feature he could see was their eyes. "I will not fight for a bloody murderer like you!" he yelled.

Amaya scoffed. "Murderer, you call me? Killing _demons, not_ pathetic _humans_, are merely a professional job. I have never touched a filthy, weak being as your race." Amaya's expression changed, becoming as sly as if she held a delicious secret. "And you _will_ fight for me, for I know for a fact that Tasuki the Switchblade shall be there competing."

In the parts of the Makai where Kamuro a.k.a. Nightwing has struck hard the most, many demons knew of the fierce and bitter rivalry between him and Tatsuki the Switchblade. The addition to the name came from claw-like blades that extended from his knuckles. Tatsuki was an experiment of the late Dr. Itchigaki but escaped when he proved too much for the doctor. No one knows how Kamuro and Tatsuki became enemies of each other, but anyone can see that they, particularly Kamuro, have sworn to kill each other at all costs.

"Now will you join me . . . or just let your opportunity to finally kill your nemesis pass you by once more?" Amaya practically sang, for she knew she had the advantage.

Kamuro's eyes widened. Tatsuki the Switchblade was the reason why he harbored a deep hate for all demons. He, Tatsuki, had killed Kamuro's beloved wife Hotaru, and left his only son Tenchi motherless and eventually fatherless once Kamuro took off with the oath of revenge. He could NOT let this opportunity pass by, as this demon which he now recognized as the infamous Nightfire had put it. _Not this time._

Kamuro looked directly into Nightfire's blood red and obsidian eyes; his jaw set with determination, and he then swallowed his pride. "All right," he consented heavily. "I will join you _only_ that I shall defeat that son of a bitch. Once I have finished him, you will see no more of me."

Amaya nodded, satisfied. She cocked her head to the side and dared to peek at his thoughts. After a moment, she said softly, "You and I are not so different. We both have a thirst for revenge, feel hate that always threatens to burn our souls, and the will to survive-"

Kamuro cut her off coldly. "But that is where our similarities end. You are a demon and I a human. I feel emotions that you could never feel!"

Amaya studied him for a long moment. "You'd be very surprised," she said softly, but then her demeanor changed, morphing back to its original cold self. Amaya held out her katana in its broken sheathe. She shook her head as the human took a step back warily. "Hold onto the sheath," she commanded harshly. "We must gather our last two team mates."

Kamuro still eyed the weapon suspiciously. He slowly reached out a hand towards it, drew back once, and then held onto the end of the sheath. "If your dare to try anything . . ." he warned.

"Hn, don't worry. Frankly, you are just not worth my time," Amaya replied icily. "Hold tight," she added. She felt her katana sheath being gripped harder. With her passenger in tow, she stepped into a shadow and shadowed the both of them into the Makai.


	31. Chapter 31

It was late afternoon when Amaya and Kamuro entered the Makai World from the shadows. They found themselves in a deep forest region, surrounded miles upon miles of a variety of trees ever known to mankind.

Kamuro let go of the katana sheath he had held. He surveyed his surroundings warily, noticing the dying sun above the tree tops. His body was stiff and tense. Kamuro was in enemy territory, the mouse in the cobras nest. Who knows what sort of demonic creature could pop up from any of the trees? He turned towards where the cloaked figure that was Nightfire stood. He could not see her luminous eyes. He might have allied with her, but she was still the enemy. This despicable demon could not be trusted.

--You know, you should not leave your thoughts so open. Other telepaths could use what you have in your mind to their advantage.--

Kamuro started and tipped his head down in a way so his long hair shielded the irritated look upon his face at having his private thoughts read. He took a breath and flexed his hands, reminding himself that without this demon, he would lose his chance at revenge. Having composed himself, he looked back up at Nightfire with a face of stone, but his smoldering eyes betrayed him.

Amaya refrained from rolling her eyes at his childish pride. But what does it matter? She turned her back on him and began walking deeper into the forest. She had found her targets.

"Where are you going?" Kamuro asked suspiciously. He stayed in the same spot and watched as the cloaked demon became smaller and smaller with the growing distance.

"To find the rest of the team," her distant voice traveled back to him. She was farther away.

Kamuro inwardly cursed as he ran to catch up.

"C'mon Touya, hurry up wi' yer meditation already!" said a chipper voice, heavy with Irish influence. The owner was the Wind Master, Jin. True to his title, Jin was sitting cross-legged in the air with three feet of emptiness in between him and the ground below. His untamable, orange hair moved as a current of wind blew at its master's command. Above his forehead protruded a horn. Jin smiled wide, revealing his sharp fangs, and the corners of his mischievous green eyes crinkled with delight as his companion rose to his feet. Jin's bare feet landed softly on the cool grass, and he got into a fighting stance, waiting patiently.

Touya, the Ice Master and a ninja, fixed his glassy, pale-blue eyes on his companion. Covering his left eye were four green bangs while the rest of his hair, colored blue, was slicked back. Touya wore an assortment of ninja-like clothing with large blue pants identical, but not in color, to the ones Jin wore.

Touya nodded solemnly and without warning took off towards the prepared Jin. "Ice Sword!" Touya said. He extended his right arm towards Jin. The arm was encased in pure, hard ice in the shape of a deadly sword, and was gleamed under the setting sun to the west.

Jin smiled widely, his long, pointy ears twitching in excitement. He raised his hands and twirled them around. Violent wind began to pick up and swirl in command. "Tornado Barrier!" Jin cried. His hands revolved around each other faster and faster. The wind gathered all around him carrying with it forest debris until a great tornado surrounded him. Touya skidded to a halt in front of the tornado and shielded himself with his free arm against the turbulent winds. Thinking quickly, he took a few steps back and ran towards the tornado. Almost a yard close to it, Touya leaped high in the air and soared up until he was just above the tornado.

Down below, Jin detected his opponent's spirit energy above him and looked up, still keeping his hands moving. His green eyes widened in surprise to meet with light blue, glassy ones. Jin's mouth dropped. It was too late to direct the huge tornado around him up towards Touya.

The ice ninja dived directly into the eye of the tornado and plummeted down like a pin dropping. Around the two, the storm broke as Touya slashed down on Jin. The Wind Master was hit hard on his shoulder but did not cry out. He leaped into the air and flew after the Ice Master. Touya turned his back on Jin and sped towards the tree behind him. He ran up the trunk of the tree and back flipped into the air. Jin, taken by surprise once more, looked up to see Touya smirking down on him. Jin's surprised look broke under the wide smile appearing on his face as he changed direction and flew at his opponent, engaging at once in hand-to-hand combat in the air. Jin aimed to hit Touya in the face with his raised knee, but the other blocked him and pushed him off. Jin punched right, was blocked, and then punched left hard and fast. Touya recoiled from the momentary flash of pain, but quickly recovered and swung his ice sword. Jin ducked low, feeling the cool water droplets fall on his neck. Touya jerked back, and Jin's bandage-wrapped fist whizzed past his face. Jin's same fist came back and Touya blocked it. Touya saw Jin's other fist launch itself towards his face, and he spun around, quickly jabbing Jin's unguarded stomach. The Wind Master coughed out spit, and in his momentary, fully unguarded moment, he did not prepare himself when Touya rammed his full left shoulder into Jin's stomach.

Down below the battling demons, another demon and a demon-slayer watched them. The slayer did not seem in the least interested in their fight, but the other took great care to watch their every move.

Amaya's red and black eyes flicked carelessly over towards her stiff companion and then returned towards the opponents. "Couldn't you at least have some enthusiasm for our new team mates?" she asked emotionlessly.

Predictably, Kamuro grunted in disgust as he surveyed the demons more closely. They were good; he had to grudgingly admit that. For despicable demons anyway. "Who are they?"

"The one with the wild red puff for hair is Jin, master of the element Wind. The other is Touya, the Master of Ice as you could see with his arm encased with melting ice." Amaya grimaced at her weak joke. It wasn't even supposed to be a joke; it just came out that way. Oh well. No one was laughing anyway. "They fought in the Dark Tournament, on the same team." Her eyes slid over him once more. "You do know of the Dark Tournament?"

Kamuro grunted. "Funded by the Black Black Club," he replied gruffly. "Disgusting sports you demons have," he added sarcastically.

By then, the two elemental masters had stopped fighting and had noticed the two spectators across the forest clearing they were gathered in.

Touya took a step forward. He recognized the human to the left. "Slayer, why are you in the Makai?" he hissed. "I suggest you leave, you filthy human, or you will pay dearly with your worthless life."

Kamuro's hawk-like eyes blazed in fury. He made to draw out his sword, but Amaya put an arm out to stop him. "Cease fool, else you wreck my plan and your chance for redemption," she said coldly.

Touya staggered in shock as the famed assassin Nightfire then pierced him with her cold red blood and obsidian eyes. Beside him, he heard Jin gasp, "It's her, Touya!" What could these two, the Night twins, the two most likely to kill each other on sight, want with Jin and him? And together, as if working side-by-side?

Amaya slyly cocked her head to the side, amused by the fear in both demons eyes at recognition of who she was. She took a step towards them, and they both took a matching step back. "Do not worry. I don't plan to kill you both anytime soon." She heard Kamuro derisively snort behind her but chose to ignore him. Amaya looked at the two in front of her, and asked, "Tell me, do you know of the tournament that will be held here in the Makai?" Jin and Touya nodded silently, like slaves waiting for their master to punish them. "Good because I have chosen you two above any others to fight in my team." Amaya jerked her head towards Kamuro. "And he will be your team mate."

"'Team mate'?" Touya spat. He snapped his head towards Kamuro, and they instantly began to stare each other down.

Beside him with an opposite view of the situation, Jin was losing the solemn mask he was wearing and replaced it with an image of child-like excitement. "C'mon Touya! Wi' get tah be in a tournament again!" he exclaimed in his Irish accent and leaped in the air.

Touya tore his eyes away from the slayer and addressed the assassin again, eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What is in it for us?" he demanded of the complacent clocked figure. He warily eyed the silver throwing knife that she played carelessly in her hands.

My, my. He can challenge Hiei quite nicely in being obnoxious, Amaya thought sarcastically. Out loud she said, "For starters, the winning team shall win prizes that, if we win, I will let the two of you keep."

"Vain thing you are," Kamuro remarked, speaking for the first time.

Amaya smirked. "I don't plan to lose," she said simply. "The others is that you will have the honor of being in the team that beats Team Uremeshi."

Touya thought about it. "And if we refuse?" he asked hesitantly.

Jin gaped at him. "Wah?! Touya, wi' can't!" he yelled.

Amaya laughed. "Of course you can't refuse," she replied. "Because to do so-" Amaya held up the kunai and flicked her wrist. _Thud_. "-well, let me just say that dear Nightwing and I shall be most displeased if we have to find others to replace you both."

Touya stood very still in his spot, more numb than what ice could ever do to a person. Behind him, the kunai was lodged in the trunk of a sycamore, the height of his head. A stinging pain accompanied the slow trickle of blood that ran down the side of his face. "W-We accept," he choked out. This tournament only gave him an opportunity to rematch with Yoko Kurama. After the Dark Tournament, he had trained under Genkai. Also, this is a chance to find the weakness of the demon slayer.

--Fat chance of that,_ baka_-- said a harsh, female voice in his head.

"Woohoo!" shouted Jin, pumping his fist in the air. "I get tah fight Uremeshi again!"

"You don't." All three male heads turned towards Amaya in confusion. "I will be the one to fight him. Frankly, you're not strong enough to beat him. So I will."

Jin's long, pointy ears drooped a little in disappointment, but he said nothing else.

Amaya felt pity for him, but she immediately pushed the feeling away. "We shall begin training tomorrow at dawn, she told them. For now, we must make camp. Get used to each other boys. For a month and a half, you all will be training with each other. So I suggest that _you_"-she shot Kamuro and Touya a hard look-"don't try to kill each other! Got it?"

The males nodded and began to gather the necessities they needed. Jin and Touya, having settled in the forest for a while now, already had a cabin they had made a few ways away from the training spot. It was a small cabin with two rooms. Jin and Touya were to share one, and Kamuro was forced, with much bickering, to have the other one since Amaya did not want to sleep in the cabin for her own reasons.

Three tedious hours later, when the sun had completely disappeared behind the trees and the Makai red moon was high in the night sky, Amaya threw a fire ball into the pit she had set up in front of her temporary home. Logs for sitting were set up around the camp fire. Amaya caught her reflection in the bucket of water Jin had brought back from the stream nearby. She could see half of her face in the dark water. Amaya had not given the thought about her identity. What if the others were to see her under the cloak? Would they see her true form or the humane one? The silver necklace of Henka glinted and caught her attention. She smirked as an idea came into mind. Amaya began roasting the fish Jin and Touya had caught earlier from the same stream. Let them find out my identity, she thought.

The boys had been arguing over something as Amaya was kept busy with the food. Or it was more like that Touya and Kamuro were arguing over something that had happened earlier on and Jin wasn't helping much with trying to talk loudly over them. But as the delicious aroma of the cooked fish filled their nostrils, all noise from them ceased, and their attentions were turned towards the fish on sticks over the camp fire.

Amaya breathed a sigh of relief. She took her own fish and jumped into the cherry blossom tree behind her, thankful for the fallen peace as she slowly ate her fish.


	32. Chapter 32

Kamuro lay in his makeshift bed, staring at the wooden ceiling of his new "home". Silence that would have, should have, succumb the entire cabin was only broken by loud snoring coming from the room across from his on the other side of the building, making sleep hard to come. Not that the middle-age human could have slept even a wink anyway. He was in a growing paranoia about the demons going back on their word and would try to kill him in his sleep.

Kamuro stepped out of the front door and shut out the violent rumble of snoring behind him. He looked around at his silent surroundings, to the camp fire, the red-tinted night sky, and the foreboding trees. Then suddenly, an image of a tall and slender woman stood in front of him. She looked nearly the same age as him. She was breathtakingly beautiful in his mind. And heart.

Hotaru Masaki, the late wife of Kamuro Masaki and late wife to his only son. She never could reach Kamuro's great height, standing at least a head shorter than he. She had a kind and gentle soul with an aura that just drew out the good part of a person, and a sweet, mesmerizing smile that always lit up even the darkest of rooms. That smile was directed at Kamuro. How he longed to see that smile again, to feel her soft lips under his. Hotaru's long, midnight hair shined in a familiar way in the light of the red moon that made it seem dark blue. Her shining brown eyes held happiness at seeing her husband. Kamuro ached to see her standing in front of him. He reached out to once again feel her soft skin, but grasped only the empty air. Her image was gone. She was gone. Again.

Kamuro lowered his head and breathed deeply, clenching and unclenching his fists. No matter how many times he imagined what could have been, should have been, hadn't. His love is dead, and her murderer was still alive. He would avenge her at all costs.

"So you, too, are awake."

Kamuro snapped his head up towards the only cherry blossom tree in the area. Sitting at ease on one of its high branches was the hooded Nightfire. "How long had she been there?"

"I am sleeping in the tree, so I _saw everything_," she said. Her emphasis on the few last words made Kamuro angry as he figured what she had "seen".

"_Baka onna_! How dare you read my thoughts!" he growled. He was on the same branch she perched on in an instant. He glared intensely at her.

Amaya refrained from flinching at being called the familiar "stupid woman" and replied, "As I've told you before: 'Don't leave your mind open for other telepaths to read'." She gestured for him to sit, but Kamuro stood and crossed his arms, almost defiantly.

Amaya watched him for a moment. Despite his tough exterior, she can sense that on the inside he seemed to be carrying a Herculean weight on his shoulders. There was no one to help him with it. Despite _herself_, she began to sympathize with him. She thought about some of the thoughts she had come across while reading his mind. She had the skin of what he was about, but not the bare bones. Hotaru . . . His late wife?

"Did he kill her?"

Kamuro, who had been dazing, was startled at the abrupt question. He was also unnerved. Kamuro did not look at Nightfire; did not look into those intense, all-seeing eyes. She seemed to have figured a few things about him. He was irritated. Who was she to butt into _his_ business?

"Hn. I don't know what you are talking about," he responded stubbornly.

Amaya rolled her eyes up at him. He was definitely as hard-headed as Yusuke when he wanted to be. She drew in her left leg closer to her chest and hugged it, propping her chin on her knee. An old habit of hers. She remembered how Hiei used to tease her about it, saying how much she looked like a bumbling child, but it always led to . . . Amaya reprimanded herself, tearing out of her mind with some difficulty the image of Hiei's sexy smirk. She returned her attention towards the silent statue of hard muscle and deep secrets. "Yes, you do," she urged him. "Why did Tatsuki kill your wife? Why is he after you?"

"That is none of your business!" Kamuro growled. He faced her fully now and took a menacing step towards her.

Amaya would not be cowed. "What started it all?" she continued patiently. She wasn't trying to annoy him or anger him. She was genuinely curious.

The knuckles of Kamuro's clenched fists were ghost white, shaking. How dare she?! How dare she _question_ him?! The nerve! The proud, stupid nerve of her! Kamuro's mind was reeling in a cauldron of anger, disbelief, and sickness of this sense of vulnerability she was now putting him in. "Enough of this! I rather be stuck with that Irish puff ball for a brain, AND that blind punk in that cabin than here with you!" he snarled.

Amaya closed her eyes and leaned onto the tree trunk as Kamuro jumped out of the tree and stalked back into the cabin, slamming the door in his rage. There were a couple of startled shouts, an animal-like roar, and a crash before silence befell the camp site. Amaya turned her head slowly towards the Makai full moon and opened her eyes. Her face under the hood was expressionless, a mask made of marble. Her full, fleshy lips moved, "Only a matter of time," she said to herself.


	33. Chapter 33

A week later, Amaya stood in the little clearing that she and the others dubbed the training grounds wearing a blindfold. It was a training technique she used to be made to do with Genkai. _If one loses their sight, they must depend on their other senses to guide them_, she would say whenever Amaya grumbled. To the distant left side, Amaya heard Jin and Touya already engaged in a fight. Jin was the one she made to wear the other blindfold. It was the jobs of Touya and Kamuro to battle the blindfolded person with as much stealth as they could muster; to which both demon and slayer were offended.

Amaya's body tightened upon instinct. She had heard a twig snap from where Jin and Touya were fighting, but it wasn't from them. It was from somewhere closer. Amaya breathed in deeply and lifted her hands. With concentration, she sent out a powerful energy wave all around her. The current of red and black colored energy nearly blew away her three team mates. She smirked, hearing the cry of surprise she had been counting on. Amaya whipped towards the direction she had heard Kamuro and sped towards him. Rearing back her left fist, she let it fly forward. Amaya was satisfied when it made contact with hard muscle and skidded to a halt.

"Well that was fun," she remarked as she removed her blindfold. She blinked her eyes to adjust to the late afternoon sun and looked around. Jin, no longer blindfolded, and Touya looked at her in amazement, having obviously been impressed by her spirit energy. Amaya smirked at them from under her hood. They were both a bit windblown, most all Jin with his already wild hair fluffing out even more. Amaya heard cursing and turned to Kamuro. He had just picking himself off the ground with a sour look across his face.

"Lucky shot," he grunted.

Always waiting for a confrontation with him, Touya came to Amaya's unneeded defense. "She doesn't need luck, especially with a weakling like you," he snarled. Then, they were at it again.

Amaya turned her back on them and looked at Jin. "This is not going to work, is it?" she asked him exasperatedly. She saw the confused look on the Wind Master's face and corrected herself, "This is not going to work with them always fighting."

Jin smiled and nodded. Whatever rumors he had heard about the deadly infamous Nightfire, he knew a lot of them to be wrong about her character. It seems, having heard the fact about her capture by the Spirit Detectives that she had softened a bit. Not enough to be automatically considered his friend, but it was a start. Plus, with Touya and Nightwing always fighting, he and Nightfire needed to stick together.

"Wi' needa way tah get 'em together," he said in his quick, Irish accent. As if on cue, he and Amaya looked over towards the other two. Amaya and Jin sighed heavily as Touya took a swipe at Kamuro with his ice sword, crowing in victory when he succeeded in wounding his target.

"Dear _Yama_," Amaya half moaned. She felt Jin's warm hand pat her on the back and hit it away from her. "Don't touch me," she hissed. Amaya lifted her arms and telepathically pulled the two combatants apart, effectively separating them. "Kamuro, you and Jin will be sparing now. Touya, I want you first work on your sword skills. Then, the both of us will spar. Is that clear?" she added in a strict tone.

All three males nodded and got to work.

Amaya sighed, took out a kunai, and began to play with it, tossing it high in the air. She kept her eyes not on the sharp throwing knife, but on each male. Many times her eyes switched from Kamuro to Touya. How was she to get them to work together without anymore fighting? They were both too stubborn to back down of the private war they have made between each other. She could not have her team broken up because of a small prejudice of race. Amaya admitted of being strongly prejudiced herself towards the human race, but she could not allow it to overrule her judgments of how good a fighter and asset Kamuro was, and she couldn't let Touya ruin her plan.

Her left wrist flicked the kunai up in the air. It soared up in the direction of the sun, glinting. A half turn, and then it came pelting back down like a raindrop, sharp end first. Amaya looked up at it as it came down and caught it deftly in between the tips of her index and middle fingers. That's when it clicked in her head. The red jewel at the end of her kunai shined in the dying sun's rays and helped her solve her problem.

Amaya threw the kunai high up in the air again.

* * *

"We're doing what?" Touya asked again.

It was bright and early the next morning when they all met up at the clearing to train. Amaya was already there; having woke up the earliest and with a new way to train. "For comradeship," she had explained for the purpose.

"We are all going on a scavenger hunt," Amaya repeated. Out of her cloak sleeve, she pulled out one of her plain kunai and held it out for the males to see. "We are going to divide into teams of two. The objective is to retrieve the kunai I had hidden very well in this forest. The kunai I have hid has a red gem at the other end of the point. Don't think it will be as easy as I am telling you; you will be sure to be tested on survival skills."

"Well that's all fine and dandy," Kamuro replied curtly, "but since you are the one who hid them, you will have the advantage." Jin and even Touya nodded in agreement.

Amaya was patient. "Yes, however, my kunai are hidden deep within the hearts of these beings-" The males watched as the short female demons bi-colored eyes seem to disappear from under the hood, when in fact, Amaya's eyes had turned completely black. She raised her glowing hands and called forth the shadows around them. The males watched in amazement as the shadows, even their own, gathered above her like a swirling vortex. Then, a shape began to emerge from the black mass until it took shape of a being that was neither a person nor was it just a blob of shadows. It had no exact defining features and emitted ink black smoke from its entire body.

"These beings," Amaya continued, "almost have a mind of their own. I can only control them because I control the shadows. Do you get it? They can't think, but _do_. They are mindless, but can control their actions. However, they are still puppets. You will be facing these. You must destroy them and take the kunai that is lodged in its heart. Understand?"

Kamuro, Touya, and Jin nodded. Curiously, Jin jumped into the air and flew in front of the shadow puppet talking a mile a minute. Have there been eyes, the puppet would have been looking at Jin, but instead inclined its head towards the newcomer. Jin reached towards the puppet and poked its head. The puppet seemed to take offense and hit Jin hard on the side, sending him flying.

Amaya snapped her fingers, and the shadow puppet disintegrated into smoke and returned back to where it came from. She turned to Touya and Kamuro. "Jin and I will be one team, and you two shall be the other," she said without beating around the bush. She held up her hand before either of them could say a word. Immediately, her demeanor changed. It lost any feeling that connected with compassion and what was left was cold and distant. "You both _will_ cooperate with each other. I will not tolerate any more of your insubordination against each other."

Amaya's shoulders straightened, making her seem taller than she really was. She nodded stiffly to Touya and Makuro before turning to Jin. "Let's go," she ordered.

Jin knew that he needed to keep his mouth shut. He nodded and followed in the wake of the scary short demon. He looked over his shoulder towards his other team mates and saw that they were locked in a stink-eye show down. He turned back to Nightfire.

"Are ya sure ya know what yer doin' lassie?" he asked. He caught up and matched her step for step.

Amaya looked at him from under her eyelids, the frown she had deepened further. "I thought I told you not to call me _lassie_," she grunted, but the protest was half-hearted. Jin was persistent in thinking that she was not the cold-hearted demon many were making her out to be. He would have been wrong months ago, but things have changed. She had changed. For better or worse, she had yet to figure out.

Jin laughed and began hovering in the air while still keeping up with her. "Are ya always so complicated like this lass?" he asked.

Amaya smirked. "You tell me," she replied smartly. Then quickly sobering up, she replied to his first question, "I do know what I'm doing. It's for all of our sakes that those two should learn to work together."

Jin nodded. He flew a little ahead then stopped, turning towards her. He smiled widely and his pointy ears wiggled in excitement. "Well, if we are playin' a game, let's get started!" he yelled.


	34. Chapter 34

Like a two-sided coin, the sun in the Makai had just begun its climb in the sky, while the sun in the Human World was slowly falling behind the horizon. Soon, night would fall in the forest Genkai's temple was located in. Night would fall, and the Spirit Detectives and their trainer, the revived and old Genkai herself, would retire to the temple after another day's hard training session.

"You got that right, Kuwabara," Yusuke yawned as he, Kuwabara, and Kurama met up with Genkai around the entrance of her swamp. Yusuke heard distant sounds of a weapon accompanied by screams of terror and looked towards the Devil's Forest off to the far side of the swamp. Aww jeez, Yusuke thought. The jelled teen cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted, "Hiei! Get your damn demon butt over here! We're gonna call Koenma to ask about Amay-"

"Then get it over already." Hiei was instantly in his face, waiting impatiently.

Yusuke jumped back in surprise. "Ack! Don't _do_ that!" he yelled. He heard Genkai mutter something behind his back and spun around. "What are you saying about me Grandma?!" he demanded.

The old woman looked at her old apprentice in disdain. "I was not talking about you, you imbecile," she insulted. Genkai shook her head. Amaya. She remembered that girl all too well, but it felt so long since the last time they had seen each other, nearly a decade ago.

Yusuke ignored his silent teacher and took out the pink compact communicator, flipping it open. The small screen blipped on and Koenma appeared.

"Yes, Yusuke?" he asked. It seemed to the Detective that today had been an easy work day for his boss. The toddler seemed very aloof. "Can we talk to Amaya?" Yusuke asked. A hand suddenly pushed his head out of the way of the screen and Kuwabara appeared with an excited grin.

"Yeah! I wanna tell her how strong I've become!"

Yusuke hit Kuwabara hard over the head, sending the taller teen flying. "Idiot! Shut up and get outta my way!" Yusuke turned back to Koenma expectantly.

Koenma's relaxed demeanor instantly dropped. His shoulders sagged like it was bearing a heavy weight. He sighed. "I'm afraid she's still on her mission everyone," he replied. There was an underlying tone of worry.

Having the acute sense of sound to have heard it, Kurama came into view. "What is the mission about, Koenma sir?" he politely inquired. He made sure his tone was pleasant so as not to worry the others.

"She is retrieving the necklace of Henka, and has been for a while," Koenma muttered the last part under his breath. Hiei heard this, however, and began walking back towards Devils Forest. 

As he entered deeper, the Detective's shouts at the baby boss became fainter and fainter. A small crease that only Kurama had noticed at the time had appeared across Hiei's brow. Hiei's lips slightly curled down in a confused frown. What is that _onna_ doing? he asked himself as he threw off his jacket so that he wore only his shoes and pants. Though he should probably get back to the temple, he needed to clear his thoughts. Hiei unsheathed his katana and patiently waited for another prey to come upon him, making them think they had caught him unawares. His patience paid off when a few minutes later, his sensitive ears picked up the reverberating thuds of an animal coming his way. That _onna_ better not be up to something foolish, he thought as his speed carried him off in a blur.

* * *

Fire burns. Fire destroys and brings pain and destruction on contact. It brings ash also, a reminder of what once was. A small flickering wisp of a fire-lit candle, so harmless-looking, can burn down a single house in a matter of hours without necessary precautions. Wind howls, sounding like a thousand lost souls have been carried off with it. Wind can be a soft caress or a fierce storm strong enough to tear the roofs off of homes and lift cars off of their wheels. Fire and wind can mix, creating a raging whirlwind of fire that destroys anything in its path.

Amaya and Jin werent really doing the scavenger hunt for the jeweled kunai. Its main purpose was to get Touya and Kamuro working together. The results of it depended on the both of them after they found the kunai. Until Amaya felt the rupture of power that would tell her if the two had found the kunai, she and Jin trained.

"We are going to work on your defense," Amaya told him. They had stopped at the top of a hill with a single willow tree atop it. "I will attack, and you will defend yourself to the best of your abilities. There will be no use of our powers until I say so."

Jin landed softly on the ground and nodded. He grinned impishly. "Betcha I can beatcha," he challenged.

It took Amaya a full minute to realize what he had said. "Well then, you are betting against the wrong person," she retorted.

Without a warning, she was gone from Jin's sight. Jin heard a twig break to his left and jumped up in the air, flipping over his hooded opponent. Amaya jumped up after him and they began hand-to-hand combat. Jin had the advantage in the air, secretly using it to keep him from descending sooner than Amaya to the ground. Amaya realized this and swore.

"_Baka _cheater!" she cried as she landed on one knee.

Jin hovered a few feet in the air. "I didn' cheat!" he argued. Jin flew up to her and pointed to the fresh, shallow cut across his left shoulder. It was three inches long and slowly bleeding. "But you did! Ya can't say that wasn't from a reglar punch, lass!"

Amaya smirked. Standing up straight, she held up her left hand, revealing a four-pointed throwing star. "You're right. I did cheat, but so did you. Once a demon, always a demon. That was a test. You know that in the competition there will be a lot of cheating going on." Amaya concealed her weapon once more inside her sleeve. Then she attacked Jin without warning once more.

Jin spun around in the air before regaining control. He rubbed his chest where he was hit and looked towards Nightfire. His green eyes widened in surprise as a fireball zoomed past his head. The burnt smell of hair, his hair, reached his nostrils.

"Oh yes, I seemed to have forgotten to tell you that we could use our powers now," Amaya called out smartly.

Jin's surprise quickly wore off and he chuckled. "Now you've done it, lassie!" he shouted down at her. Jin raised his hands high in the air. The once quiet wind suddenly picked up, shaking the branches of the trees, making forest debris fly, and moving the darkening clouds. Jin's own wild red hair flew in all directions. A visible current of wind swirled around the Wind Master mixed with leaves and twigs from the forest. Amaya held her arms up, shielding herself from the flying debris. She was unaware that Jin was slowly beginning to move his right arm in a giant circle, moving it faster and faster until it was a blur.

Jin noticed how Nightfire's spirit energy had lowered drastically since he started to build up his. His own energy had tripled. Using the wind to accelerate his speed further, Jin dove down towards Nightfire. "Tornado Fist!" he yelled over the din. He reared his hand back and stuck Nightfire hard across her vulnerable stomach.

Amaya's dark brown eyes widened in surprise. She gasped out as pain arced all over her body. She soared back, limbs outstretched, and landed hard against the thick trunk of a mighty oak tree. Amaya literally lost her breath for a moment as she slid down to the base. She shook more from shock than from pain. Amaya rolled over and got on all fours, coughing air back into her lungs. Her abdomen and upper back thumped with pain. Once having regained her composure, Amaya wobbly stood back up and turned around.

Jin landed on the ground and quickly ran over towards his fallen comrade. She was atop of one of the oaks big roots on all fours, coughing violently. Nearly upon her, she stood back up and turned around. Jin's lungs slammed to a stop for a moment at the face looking back at him with dark brown eyes glazed with pain. He looked at the naked face of Nightfire. It was, in his opinion, a beauty to look at. Nightfire's short jet black hair fell in clumps around her shoulders, messy from their battle. Her dry and cracked lips were formed in a grimace at her defeat.

Amaya saw Jin's reaction to her humane form and inwardly smirked despite of her injuries. They were minor, but still hurt, especially if she tried to breathe in deeply. Outwardly, Amaya lowered her dark eyes to the ground in feigned shame. "So now you see the true image of the famed assassin of Makai," she sighed heavily.

There was a long pause until Jin broke it. "But why keep yer identity secret lass?" he asked her. Jin walked up closer and laid a friendly hand on her shoulder.

She did not react to his touch except to looked up and meet his eyes. "Why else?" she asked him. "To keep myself safe, she answered," giving him no time to answer the question. Amaya sighed again and moved a few steps back, making some room in between them. "I believe we need to reintroduce each other again," she said. Amaya held up her hand. "I am Amaya Toshi, also known as Nightfire."

Jin smiled so widely his little fangs showed. "An' I'm Jin," he said and shook the offered hand.

"You must not tell anyone about my identity," she told him seriously as she took back her hand. "Touya and Kamuro will know once they've retrieved the kunai," she answered Jin before he could pose the question on her. She knew he would not have kept the secret of her identity from Touya, so she figured it was the time to, what was that phrase Yusuke once said to her? "Open up more," he had said. Amaya delighted Jin with an unsuspecting true smile, the first she's had since leaving Spirit World.

Yes, she would open up more.

But only if it would benefit her in the long run.

"Speakin' o' tha' lil weapon, shouldn' wi' be findin' ours?" Jin asked.

Amaya pulled her hood over her head and nodded. "Yes, of course."


	35. Chapter 35

Touya the Ice Master looked up as he felt an intense spirit energy skyrocket in the distance. Having been with him for so long, Touya instantly recognized it as Jin's. The sky was suddenly dark, although it wasn't even noon yet, and the clouds were blowing away from a certain area. Abandoning Nightwing, Touya jumped up the prickly branches of a pine tree and at the very top, he scanned the far area around them. Down below, Nightwing swore softly under his breath at the delay his partner was making. Touya spotted Jin's tiny figure amidst a great tornado of wind. He noticed that Nightfire's spirit energy was drastically lower. They must have found their item, he thought grimly and jumped down the tree.

He landed in front of a scowling demon slayer and narrowed his glassy-blue eyes. "Stop making that face _baka ningen_," he snarled.

Kamuro glared daggers. "I wish I could say the same to you, but your face is more permanent," he retorted. Here we go again, he thought in aggravation. Ever since first setting off away from camp, he and the Ice Master have done almost nothing close to trying to find the kunai that Nightfire had told them to find. They have only fought every chance they got. Kamuro had no real qualms about it because he hated Touya. It was as simple as Touya hating him for being a human in demon territory. Mind, Kamuro didn't really have a choice for being here, but any more of this bickering, and Kamuro will most likely kill Touya and find another way to get revenge on Tatsuki.

In a second, Kamuro was locking his katana with Touya's ice sword in a vicious struggle of who would be the first to submit. Beads of sweat gathered on Kamuro's forehead and fell as he put his strength on his katana, pushing Touya back and pinning him to the pine tree behind. Touya's eyes widened in surprise, but then narrowed in determination. He moved his ice sword, so close to the base of his sweat-drenched neck, so that what was left of the rays of sun was reflected off of it. Kamuro cried out in pain as his naked eyes were hit with the ray of light and recoiled away. Touya cleared his throat and rubbed the line of skin where his own sword almost touched it. By now, his sword was useless, a melting icicle. Touya broke the thin ice and turned towards Kamuro just in time to receive a heavy blow across his face.

Kamuro rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times, breathing heavily. He turned his head to the Ice Master, laying on one side on the ground and cursed Nightfire for giving him a weakling for a partner. Regarding himself as the more honorable one between the two, he sheathed his katana and walked slowly up towards the rising demon.

Touya refused to look at the slayer, knowing his pride had been damaged and took defeat for now. He would get his chance at redemption later. Without having looked at him, Touya swept past Nightwing and walked the direction opposite from the place he had seen Jin's small figure minutes before.

"Where are you going?" asked the hated voice. It was a claw on a chalkboard in Touya's opinion. Without looking back, he growled, "To look for the weapon before the others do."

Hours later, with no progress at all and both thinking that the creature that held the kunai was really under its creators influence, they both came upon an animal carcass. Neither of them could make out the animal killed for the remains were so utterly unrecognizable. The mess was disturbing, blood everywhere: around the carcass in mass quantities and on the surrounding trees. Kamuro and Touya recoiled back in disgust. Kamuro held his forearm over his mouth and nose and gingerly walked closer to the center of the carnage. Whatever had done this must have been indeed hungry and in a hurry. From the looks of the remains, most of the bones of this animal had been consumed and then spit out. The inner organs were cast aside, obviously hadn't been wanted. Kamuro sensed a presence next to him and turned to Touya.

"Jin and I have stumbled on places like this with _these_ things," Touya said. His face still held a look of disgust, nose crinkling at the rotting smell of the decaying remains.

"There must have been a horde of these creatures," Kamuro said pointedly, indicating the predators that had killed the prey. It was the first time since their last fight that they have spoken.

Touya's eyes were fixed upon the remains, but he nodded in acknowledgement. This seemed the first moment since meeting each other, besides the mutual hate, in which they both related to the other: Whatever had done this, it was definitely not alone. And the fate of this animal could be theirs if they're not careful. "Can you tell how long since this animal was consumed?" Touya inquired, knowing that Nightwing did have the skills to know, being a demon hunter.

Kamuro looked for a spot not bloodied, and then slowly knelt down on the ground close to the carcass. He studied it for a long time turning his head this way and that. He touched the blood, bringing it to his eyes for closer inspection and smelled it gingerly. When satisfied, Kamuro wiped the blood on the side of his pants and stood back up. Not turning to Touya, he said, "From what I gather, it was eaten just this morning." He didn't need to see the startled glassy eyes that looked at him from the right. He could feel the panic radiating off the both of them. "The blood is still fresh."

"That means-"

"We better keep moving," Kamuro cut Touya off. Touya concealed his alarm and nodded. Together, side-by-side, they walked away from the site. As soon as they left, the bones of the animal slightly moved, the ground under it rumbling from a distant, hungry predator.

* * *

"We are going this way you _baka youkai!_"

"No fool! That is the wrong way! You will just get us more lost going that way!" Touya countered.

The two were lost indeed. They were stuck in front of a fork in the road, the one on the left going straight, and the one on the right seemed to be snaking uphill.

"-and you think going to the right won't get us lost?" Kamuro asked sarcastically.

Touya opened his mouth to angrily reply back, but a deep rumble suddenly brought them both kneeling on the ground.

A startling loud growl came from their left. Kamuro and Touya snapped their heads towards the source of the noise, and their eyes widened in alarm. Before them was a colossal creature, three times the size of an elephant. In a way, it closely resembled a cross between a human and a gorilla with its characterized human-like limbs: the distinguished arms and legs, but it was hunched over like a gorilla. It had no fur, but sickening grey skin, like decaying flesh that had been left in water for too long. It had no eyes, ears, or a nose, yet it did have a large mouth filled with blood-stained, sharp teeth.

So this must be one of the creatures that ate that animal a while back, Kamuro thought. He turned to Touya and met his eyes. "If both of us want to live - _fool!_" Kamuro yelled as Touya independently jumped to his feet and ran towards the monster. He watched as the Ice Master attacked the monster's eye- and nose-less head with his ice sword. Touya appeared kneeling behind the monster at the same time a red gash appeared across its face. The monster stretched open its mouth and let out a horrible screech that sent Kamuro and Touya pressing their hands to their ears.

Kamuro watched in half disgust, half fascination as the monster flicked out its tongue a few times. Its own blood ran down the majority half of its face, but whatever pain it felt did not bother it. The movement of the tongue, flicking in and out quickly from the bloody chasm, struck Kamuro quickly as he recognized what the creature was doing. It was trying to find Touya's scent like a snake would!

"Touya! Get the hell out of there! It's trying to find you using your scent!" Kamuro yelled, but the demon was not moving. He was standing stalk-still behind the creature. At the moment, the monster rounded on Kamuro himself and opened its wide mouth, flicking its tongue in his direction. _Shit_, Kamuro thought as he began taking a few steps back.

Touya saw where the monster was headed and was caught between letting the creature devour the slayer, or doing the right thing and saving his sorry ass. There was no more time to consider the matter as the monster galloped towards Nightwing. Touya raised his ice sword and quickly sped right after the creature.

Kamuro saw Touya coming after the creature. He wouldn't let Touya rescue him. Kamuro unsheathed his katana and jumped towards the monster. He raised his weapon high in the air and let if come down. The creature let out a terrible howl as it was pierced on front and back its neck where his skull and spinal cord met. Touya and Kamuro simultaneously extracted their weapons and jumped away from the falling beast. It lay between them, demon and slayer, moving no longer. Their heads snapped to attention as horrible screeches that had been similar to this monster's suddenly erupted throughout the forest.

* * *

Amaya and Jin stopped dead in their tracks at the horrible screeches far away from the way they had come from. Amaya looked towards Jin, who was not knee-deep in swamp water but floating in the air, and gave him a look that plainly said, We must keep moving. She knew from the small furrow on his forehead that he was thinking about his friend, but that couldn't stop them from turning back to imminent danger. Jin wordlessly nodded, burrowing his worried thoughts deep in the back of his mind, and they resumed their hunt for the shadow soldier that kept eluding them.

* * *

Kamuro and Touya looked across the gigantic dead creature in between them towards each other and shared the same idea: get out of there now. Touya nodded towards the sloping hill with the twisted path on the right of the fork and Kamuro reluctantly followed. They could not afford to argue at this moment for if their suspicions were correct, the rest of the dead creatures pack would come soon. Besides, a crooked path was better than a more probably vulnerable straight path.


	36. Chapter 36

Kamuro and Touya ran as fast as they could down the twisted path, as fast as they could away from the body of the huge creature they had slain. After a while, the slayer noticed that Touya's pace was slightly slower. He whipped his head to get long bangs out of the way of his eyes, but in that casual movement where Kamuro's head sharply turned in Touya's direction, Kamuro saw that the demon had been wounded. Though Touya was putting up a good enough show of not being injured at all, Kamuro had seen a gash across Touya's chest. He must have acquired it when he first attacked that creature back there, Kamuro thought. Kamuro snapped his attention back towards the front, but remarked casually, "You've been injured."

The glint in Touya's glazy, light-blue eyes flicked towards Kamuro running a little ahead of him. He willed himself to run faster. "It is none of your business," Touya replied stubbornly.

"Unless you are dead when we return back," Kamuro countered. However, the back of his mind was arguing with him on why he was even bothering with the condition of a _despicable demon_.

"Look ahead!" Touya pointed out a landmark ahead of them and was secretly relieved at the distraction from his wound. He was also losing a considerable amount of blood and needed the rest. They came to a mountain side cavern of sorts. From what the afternoon light showed them at the mouth of the cave, the cavern was filled with sharp icicle-shaped stalactites hanging off the roof of the cavern.

"Do you feel that?" Touya asked. Being a demon, he was more sensitive and in tune with his feelings. And his feelings right now, especially down in his gut, told his this place held an evil.

Kamuro nodded slightly. Meditation had its uses, as he had figured out long ago in his past. He felt a sinister aura coming from within the cavern. Down below, the same screeches they had heard before were growing louder.

Kamuro sucked in his breath and began slowly walking into the cavern.

"What are you doing?" Touya asked almost incredulously. "Can you not feel the evil coming from this place?"

Kamuro stopped for a moment and looked over his shoulder at him. "I think facing this simple cavern is much better than facing a horde of whatever those creatures are," he replied. "Besides, your blood will just attract those things even further." Kamuro continued on.

Touya put a hand over the cut on his chest. It was not that deep, for the monster they had killed before did not get a good hit at him. The good sign was that the earlier bleeding had stopped, but the bad sign was that Touya was much more tired from the loss of blood. Deciding that sticking together was the best course for now, Touya hurried to catch up to his determined partner.

The cavern seemed to travel for miles. There seemed to be a curious light at the end of the long tunnel they walked in, but they didnt seemed to be getting any closer than when they had first walked into the cavern. Both were alert, however, for anything that they would encounter.

Touya kept very silent since first entering the cavern. He knew they were walking straight into a trap. This wasn't just a "simple cavern". There was more to it than what the slayer thought it was. His gut was telling him they must get out of there as soon as possible. "Night-"

"_Shh!_ Listen! Do you hear that?" Kamuro cut him off. They stopped walking and listened hard to their surroundings. As soon as the last reverberating sounds of their footsteps ended, they heard hissing; hissing coming from all directions, surrounding them.

"Where could it be coming from?" Touya wondered out loud.

Kamuro turned to him. "Can't you use those sensitive ears of yours to find the location?" he asked.

Touya was taken aback at the unexpected recognition of his demon ability but shook off his surprise. He closed his eyes and focused on the sounds surrounding him. After a moment, he popped open his eyes and pointed off to the side closest to Kamuro. "It's coming from over there," he said.

Kamuro nodded and slowly walked towards the area Touya had pointed to. A few feet from where he had been originally standing, there was a chasm between a few rocks that jutted where the cavern floor and wall met. "Holy god," Kamuro breathed as he steadied himself near the edge of the chasm and looked down. Down below was a colony of deadly king cobras.

"It must be mating season for them."

Kamuro nearly jumped out of his skin in surprise at Touya's sudden presence next to him. So wrapped up at the sight below him, he hadn't been aware that the demon had come closer to also look.

"We should hurry up out of here," Touya continued and continued down the cavern.

Kamuro stayed put, however. There must be more of these in here, he thought. This can't be the only ones here. But then that must mean-

"_Ahhh!_" Touya's yell echoed off the cavern walls and almost sent Kamuro stumbling into the chasm. He snapped towards the direction the demon had taken. "What the hell is wrong with you fool?" he shouted angrily. Touya's screams suddenly stopped, but sounds of falling rocks and scuffling replaced it. Kamuro sensed something very wrong and ran towards the place where he had heard Touya. "Touya? Touya, you _baka youkai_, where are you?!" Kamuro called. "Answer me!"

"Down here!"

Kamuro turned to the left and spotted a few rocks that jutted out just like the other ones they had seen. He cautiously moved towards the opening where the rocks laid around and saw pale fingers holding onto the ledge. "Touya!" The demon was so pale, whether from being afraid of falling into the pit of deadly cobras or from loss of blood from his wound, Kamuro didn't know which. As he stared at the Ice Master, he thought how easy it would be to just let him die there. Then he could find the kunai by himself and then go back to Nightfire, saying that Touya had died in a tragic death by a pit of snakes.

"Kamuro, help me why don't you! Stop standing there!" Touya yelled from below. He was slowly losing his grip for fatigue. He looked down, and his eyes widened as one of the male cobras slithered closer to his right foot, nearly naked because of his open-toed sandal.

Kamuro's hawk-like eyes widened in surprise, and he was jolted out of his traitorous thoughts at the recognition of his name from the demon lips. Acting quickly, Kamuro kneeled on the ground and extended his right hand out. Touya quickly caught it and together got him out of the pit. They sat there for a long while; the only sounds were Touya catching his breath and the angry hissing of the cobras down below in the chasm.

There were no words exchanged between Touya and Kamuro, but the latter knew that the other would do no thanking. He did not want it anyway for it would just prickle his conscience. Kamuro didn't need that. He also didn't need to start thinking demons actually as living beings and almost like humans too. Kamuro looked over to Touya and saw that his glazed eyes were hidden behind his closed eyelids. He was sweating profusely, and even paler than from when Kamuro had seen him dangling in between life and death a few moments before.

Touya was in a similar predicament like Kamuro. His mind was a confliction of new ideas about humans, like how not all of them seem to be bad now that he had been saved by Kamuro. The slayer could have just let Touya die back there, but he didn't. Or, and there was a suspicion, was the only reason he, Touya, was even saved was because Nightfire would have killed Kamuro if he had let Touya died?

"Come on, get up. We're almost at the end," said Kamuro and stood up. He thought a moment, turned to Touya, and extended a hand towards him.

Touya looked at the hand for a long time, and then slowly took it, allowing Kamuro to help him up and building a shaky bond of trust between them.

* * *

"So is this your fault we are in this predicament, or mine?" Amaya asked sarcastically. She and Jin had finally tracked down the shadow soldier, and it had grown in power in the space of time it took them to find it.

Amaya and Jin had fallen into a trap upon entering the bottom of a canyon after the soldier. They were bound on the rocky canyon wall with bonds made of shadows.

Jin looked around, feeling more curious than fearful, for the shadow soldier that had so suddenly disappeared. "Hey lassie, why's ever'thing turning grey?" he asked.

Amaya snapped her head up in alarm and quickly scanned the area. True to the Wind Master's words, the area around them was turning grey, despite how the afternoon sun was blaring down on them from above. Like a disease, the grey was spreading rapidly up the walls of the canyon. The water of the narrow stream before them was a deep black. Amaya looked towards the binds that held them and jingled her left arm. It must be these. The soldier must be acquiring so much energy that the energy it used for these binds is affecting the whole canyon, she thought. She turned her head to Jin and told him her suspicions.

"Can't ya stop tha' soldier?" Jin asked.

Amaya shook her head. She was in deep thought, but explained, "I can only control a soldier to a certain degree, but this one has found for itself a great deal of power that keeps it from listening to me."

Jin whistled low. "D'ya know a way tah get us outta here?" he asked.

"Maybe," Amaya murmured. "Don't interrupt me." She closed her eyes and began to gather her shadow powers.

* * *

Touya and Kamuro were walking with a steady pace, and they were finally getting closer towards the light at the end of the cavern tunnel. A sharp crack, from perhaps a twig, echoed off the cavern walls. Touya looked down out of instinct and saw that he had stepped on, not on a twig as he had expected, but from a skeleton of a bat. He looked up at the stalactites in search for bats, but found none. Another crack and he knew Kamuro had also stepped on a bat skeleton. It seemed that the closer they were coming towards the end of the tunnel, the more they stepped on old bones of bat skeletons. And then, Touya heard something. "Do you hear that?" he asked Kamuro.

They stopped walking and listened for a moment. There was a curious noise, faint though. "It sounds like something with many legs," Kamuro muttered. He looked ahead of the path they traveled on and saw it sloping upwards. "It must be coming from up there. Come on." They climbed up the small hill and as they came towards the top, the noise became much louder, and when they reached the top, they froze.

Down below, large venomous centipede lay all over the cavern floor. Many of these long multi-legged, thin bodied bugs were as big as Touya or Kamuro themselves. They heard a frantic cry and watched in the distance below as a bat that had been flying in the air unnoticed until then fell to the ground. As soon as the unfortunate bat hit the floor, the centipedes closest to it began swarming all over the bat, piercing it with their venomous tail like a scorpion would to its own prey. Touya and Kamuro watched in fascination and horror as the bat screeched and screeched until the poison took over its small body and it made no more noise. Then, the centipedes quickly acted and began to slowly eat the dead bats body, fighting each other for a bite of it. What was left as the deadly carnivores retreated was just another skeleton.

Touya stepped forward. "I can take care of this," he said. Touya kneeled down on one knee and placed both his hands on the ground. Touyas whole body began to glow blue, the color of his spirit energy. Kamuro felt the rise of power in his comrade and observed as the blue aura around Touya moved towards his outstretched hands. With his brow furrowed in concentration, Touya froze the ground with his ice powers, freezing the majority of the centipedes that he could reach. Seeing that there were a few of the bugs he hadn't managed to freeze, Kamuro took out from a hidden place in his leather jacket a pair of cherry bombs. Taking a plain, silver lighter from his pants pocket, he lit the fuses and threw the bombs far down the cavern. "I suggest you cover your ears," he told Touya and did so himself.

Touya clamped his hands over his sensitive ears and bowed his head on his bent knee. The bombs soared over the frozen centipedes and landed in the center of the ones still alive. The cavern shook with the intensity of the bombs explosion, and even with his ears covered, Touya felt himself shaken to the core at the massive after-sounds of the explosion.

Without a sideways glance at how his partner was doing, Kamuro watched calmly as many of the caverns stalactites fell upon the frozen centipedes at the explosion, instantly killing the poisonous bugs. When he was certain it was all over, Kamuro uncovered his ears and gestured for Touya to do the same. "Let's go," he said emotionlessly and Touya nodded.

Descending the small hill in which they had stood on, they stepped over broken rock and dead centipedes, getting much closer towards the light. With eyes like a newborn, they blinked hard to adjust to the light of the setting sun, and each breathed a silent sigh of relief that the cavern ordeal was over with.

Touya was the first to adjust and was the first to see that there was something very wrong in the area they had found themselves in.

"Kamuro," Touya said slowly, trying hard to comprehend this phenomenon, "everything around us is grey."

* * *

Finally, with her stronger shadow powers than that of the shadow soldier, Amaya managed to break both her and Jin free from the bonds that had held them to the canyon wall. It hadn't been easy freeing them, and Amaya was nearly exhausted, having been forced to revert back to her humane form from under her cloak to preserve the rest of her spirit energy. Her feet hit the ground and she stumbled forward. A strong arm wrapped itself around her middle and steadied her before she could fall. For a shining moment, Amaya thought it was Hiei who had helped her, but when she turned around it was to her dismay and embarrassment that it was Jin's happy green eyes that she saw, not Hiei's intense crimson orbs.

Amaya pulled herself away from Jin with a small nod of thanks and looked up. The sun that had been hovering above them for hours was gone, and a red-orange glow was what could be seen above the cliff tops. The canyon was almost fully grey now. She turned to Jin and was about to suggest camping here for the moment when something zoomed past her head and struck Jin on his right shoulder, wounding him severely.

Jin cried out from pain and surprise and stumbled back.

Amaya spun around and saw on top of the canyon wall opposite of theirs the soldier standing there, a black bow and arrow emitting as much dark smoke as the soldier was in its hands.

"Lassie!" Jin cried behind her.

Amaya looked over her shoulder and her eyes widened in alarm. Jin's complexion was beginning to turn an ashy-grey color. Since the arrow lodged in his shoulder was made of pure shadow, it was slowly affecting Jin with the evil spirit energy it was also made of. The arrow itself was drawing itself in deeper into Jin's shoulder. It was a matter of time until the shadow and spirit energy made Jin useless and feeling numb.

"Jin, remove that arrow immediately!" Amaya ordered and turned back towards the soldier. She drew out her katana and changed back to her powerful form. Charging up, she put much of her spirit energy into the katana, making it glow a combination of red and black. Behind her, she heard Jin grunt a few times and knew he was working on removing the arrow.

Amaya bent her knees and then jumped up towards the soldier with her katana raised. In the back of her mind, she heard something close to a bell ringing and knew what it was immediately. As she clashed her katana with the soldiers huge conjured sword, she thought, _They've found it too._


	37. Chapter 37

The land around Touya and Kamuro looked like something that came out of an old black and white picture. Everything was a shade of dismal grey. Shadows leaped across the pitch black lake in front of them, and the various kinds of trees surrounding their location looked almost dead and the leaves withered. It was as if life had been sucked out of them from their leaves to their very roots. The sky was becoming darker, slowly matching the mood of the scenery. Touya and Kamuro stood together, so tense was the air around them that it could be cut by a knife. The air itself seemed to be like no air at all, so empty and still did it feel it was as if each were drowning in nothingness. Their lungs were slowly suffocating in the despair that radiated from this hellish place.

"I feel a great disturbing presence watching us," Kamuro muttered under his breath to Touya.

Even I could have told you that, Touya thought, but nodded. He stood up straight and slowly looked around their surroundings, as if he would spot right away the faceless form that was the soldier.

Kamuro couldn't take this waiting and called out, "Come out of your hiding monster! I have not the patience to wait until you muster up the courage to face me!"

Touya spun around and growled at Kamuro. "_Baka!_ You imbecile-!" And then, both simultaneously felt the presence of the soldier. Touya snapped his mouth shut, although his glossy eyes held the fire of anger, and he and Kamuro turned towards the lake.

The lake's black water held no reflection as a normal water surface would. No reflection of the dying trees around it, no reflection of the red moon that appeared beyond those trees, and certainly no reflection of the shadow soldier that floated in the still air at the very center of the lake. Though it had no face, it held its disposition in a way that made both demon and slayer feel as if it watched them. And what evil eyes it could have had if they matched the evil aura radiating off the creature.

How could it acquire so much power? Touya wondered as he and Kamuro took up fighting stances.

--That, I do not know, but I do know that it needs to be pierced in the center of the chest; where the kunai is lodged-- said the voice of Nightfire in his head.

Touya gasped in surprise, and the creature in front of him took that as a sign to attack.

* * *

Amaya and the soldier fought with such ferocity that sparks leaped as the swords contacted again and again. Down below on the ground, Jin successfully pulled what was left of the arrow out of his right shoulder and took a moment to watch it disintegrated into black smoke in his hand. He looked up as Amaya dealt a heavy blow to the soldier's head.

Amaya ducked her head and squinted her eyes as sparks leaped towards her when the soldier once again blocked her blow. She was having difficulty fighting the soldier and keeping up with the telepathic connection she built up with Touya.

--You are a telepath?-- Touya rolled out of the way as the soldier he and Kamuro fought sought to slice them both with its own sword. Kamuro immediately engaged with it in battle.

Amaya scoffed in his head. --Of course I am! Now, you must work with Kamuro to take down the soldier-- She stopped the connection they had and simultaneously blocked the hit to her head. She then disappeared in a blur and reappeared beside Jin.

"Jeez lass! Nearly gave mi' a heart attack!" Jin admonished.

Amaya kept her eyes glued to the confused soldier but asked, "How is your shoulder doing?"

"Okay. I feel no pain, but I'm gettin' greyer."

The soldier couldn't find Amaya, for she lowered her power in equivalent to when she's at her humane form, and so it sank into the grey cliff behind it and disappeared.

"Where did it go?!" Jin yelled.

Amaya sensed the power behind them and shouted, "Behind us!" She pushed Jin out of the way as the tentacles shot out from the wall behind them and captured Amaya.

"Lass!" Jin grabbed hold of Amaya's hands and leaped into the air, pulling with all his might to free her. The tentacles pulled hard too, and Amaya felt like a rubber band being stretched painfully slow. She closed her eyes and breathed in slowly, drawing in her powers. Beneath Jin's fingers, Amaya's bare skin was turning hot. "Lassie, what are ye doin'?" he called down to her. The tentacles had a tight hold up to her shoulders and weren't readily willing to give her up that easily.

Amaya tilted her head up, her hood falling back from the small action. It revealed a face with cherry red lips and bright red hair that accompanied matching fiery red eyes. She saw Jin's perplexed look at her change in form but ignored it. "If you trust me, you will let go," she said sternly.

Jin didn't understand. She wanted him to drop her to her death. What in the world was she thinking? However, he did trust her, and so with a clear conscience, he let go of her hands. Jin watched the cherry lips turn up in a smirk as the rest of Amaya sunk into the mass of darkness below. The Wind Master floated there for a moment, green eyes transfixed on the spot where Amaya had disappeared, but then suddenly, he was covering those eyes and crying out in surprise. The dark mass of tentacles made of shadows was aflame! It turned into a blazing inferno so scorching hot that Jin flew up higher and farther away from the sight. Amidst the momentary commotion, the soldier reappeared behind Jin from the grey of the cliff the he was very close to. The soldier lifted the hilt of his sword and struck Jin hard across the back of his head, sending him flying into the cliff above the inferno. Loose rubble and rock fell on the flames and covered the whole sight. When Jin came around, he looked down and gasped. There was a mountainous pile of boulders on top of where Amaya and the blaze had been! Jin feared the worse for his friend: that she was dead. The Wind Master lowered his head and stood up.

Immediately, the air around him began to pulse as his spirit energy skyrocketed. An orange glow began to emit from his body, and the air crackled with static electricity. The wind began to pick up, having been so calm a second ago now becoming almost violent. Jin's stock still figure seemed unaffected by the change, but as his head calmly looked back up, his green eyes, not a deep green, was filled with rage. Without warning, Jin leaped out of the crater he had made in the cliff and sped as quick as lightning towards the soldier, wind-surrounded right fist raised. Jin nailed him and began a series of harsh attacks on the soldier.

Yet, blinded by his rage, Jin was soon caught unawares as the soldier jabbed him in the stomach, temporarily making Jin vulnerable enough to throw a shadow ball at him. Jin somersaulted high in the air but caught himself before the distance became too far. He threw his arms out, conjuring a rush of wind that whirled and roared.

"Wind Slasher!" Jin cried and threw his right arm out towards the shadow soldier. The wind swirled around and around the soldier, faster and faster and the soldier was being slashed on all sides by what seemed like long whips. Jin saw the opportunity and took it gratefully. He dove down and went for the soldier once more. However, in the back of his mind, Jin sensed a presence.

_Blast him into the cliff wall._ The voice was faint, like a subconscious helping him. Believing that it was _his_ subconscious, Jin trusted it and soon the soldier was sent flying into the wall in the same fashion it had done to Jin before.

_You must get out of the way now!_ Jin's eyes widened in amazement when he recognized the faint voice. It was Amaya! But he didn't have another second to contemplate the meaning as he zoomed back up in the sky. Down below where the mound of rocks covered the battlefield Amaya and the shadow tentacles had fought, something shot towards the soldier, who was still caught up in Jins previous attack. The Wind Master recognized the small weapon and sent a current of wind to accelerate the traveling kunai.

The soldier let out a strangled cry as the kunai shot through the center of its chest cavity, and when the weapon shot out from the other side and lodged itself on the opposite cliff wall, it had the jeweled kunai with it. The soldier let out a last cry and then, like the arrow, disintegrated into black smoke.

Jin slowly floated down back to earth and softly landed on top of the cliff above the kunai. His eyes were glued onto the smoke as it began to drift towards him. Jin tensed up, expecting the thing to try to enter his body or something, but became confused when it just floated right past him towards something behind him. Jin spun around and saw nothing but air.

"I suggest you look down. As you well know, I'm not _that_ tall, said a sarcastic feminine voice half a foot below. Jin looked down and met Amaya's dark brown eyes. Her hood wasn't covering her head and so revealed the sheepish look upon her face. Her spirit energy was greatly diminished, having used much of it in the battle against the tentacles, but the sparkle in her dark eyes proved she was satisfied that they had retrieved the jeweled kunai that was now in her left hand. By the way she was holding onto her left arm at the elbow, Jin could guess that she had injured it somehow, and that did not even count how banged up she looked. Just looking at Amaya and how bad she looked, Jin could come up with a pretty good analysis of what kind of condition he was in himself.

"You're not grey anymore," Amaya remarked as they sat down atop the cliff. It was no use trying to look for a proper place to settle down for the night, considering how late it was now. With what little spirit energy she had left, Amaya conjured a small fire to burn in between them.

Jin looked across the leaping flames at Amaya and noticed that her eyes were closed. Her shoulder length hair fell around her face like a dark curtain. With a smile, Jin lay down leisurely next to the fire. He shoved his hands under his head and looked up at the sky. "I wonder how Touya and the Kamuro lad are doin'?" he wondered out loud.

Amaya's eyes snapped open that very instant, and she became still.

Jin sensed something amiss and sat up straight, supporting his weight on one hand on the ground. "What is it?" he asked urgently. He hoped it wasn't an unknown enemy. Jin was sure that if it was, neither he nor Amaya could defend themselves.

Amaya looked up and indicated to Jin to also follow suit. Jin tilted his head up and saw from the light that the flames illuminated a cloud of black smoke. Familiar black smoke . .

Amaya smiled knowingly. "They did it."

* * *

Touya and Kamuro were fighting the soldier at the same time, two on one, and the soldier was putting up a strong defense and offense against them. At that moment, the soldier ducked Kamuros katana and struck his now vulnerable chest. Kamuro stumbled back, coughing blood.

Frustrated, Touya sent a dagger made of ice to the soldiers own chest, hoping to get the kunai, but it was grabbed and crushed. Then, the soldier caught hold of Touya's outstretched arm and swung the demon over his shoulder, smashing him onto the ground and making a small imprint. Touya heard something crack and then a throbbing pain soon accompanied it on his left shoulder. Too shocked from what just happened, he wasn't concentrating on the enemy. Overhead, the soldier had its sword poised above Touya's heart, ready to pierce the beating organ. The soldier swung down to deliver the fatal blow. However, at the last minute, Kamuro shot out from the side and grabbed hold onto Touya's front shirt and brought him out of harm's way. But, Kamuro's timing was a few seconds too slow, and he cried out in pain as the blade of the sword sank into his right leg.

Touya was there in a moment's notice, leaping back onto his feet and using his spirit energy to blast the soldier away from them. He watched with wary eyes as the soldier flipped back and sunk into a nearby shadow, disappearing. Keeping one eye on their surroundings, Touya turned to Kamuro and saw that he had the sword out of his leg and disintergrating into black smoke. But something was happening at that wounded sight. It was bleeding, but the broken skin around it was turning grey; and was slowly spreading. Kamuro looked up to Touya and when their eyes met, Touya could see the alarm in the hawk-like eyes.

Kamuro looked around the area, waiting for the soldier to pop out any second. He couldn't take just sitting there and tried to stand up. However, as soon as he put pressure onto his right leg where the deep wound was, pain like a thousand hot knives shot up his leg. Kamuro started to fall back but Touya was there in an instant and caught him by the underarms. Touya grimaced as pain thundered into his shattered shoulder.

"Leave me alone! I can stand by myself!" Kamuro growled stubbornly. He wasn't about to admit, although not out loud, that he was in no condition to defend himself, making him more vulnerable than Touya for any attack. "_Shimotta_," Kamuro cursed when he tried to stand up but failed, landing back in Touya's expectant arms and making the demon wince.

Touya kept quiet, knowing it was no use fighting, and helped this obstinate human sit down. Touya moved towards Kamuro's leg and put a hand over the wound. "Here, this will help a bit." His hand began to glow a faint blue, and instantly Kamuro felt the burning pain on his leg recede, making him more comfortable as a thin layer of ice formed over his wound. And that's when inspiration hit him.

"I have an idea."

The soldier still hadn't made an appearance as Touya nodded down to Kamuro then turned away from him. The human below kept a close eye on their surroundings as Touya knelt down and put his hands flat on the ground. The Ice Master began to glow a deep blue as he summoned the gusto of his spirit energy and transferred it to his outstretched hands. Just like back in the cave with the millipedes, the ground began to freeze. The frost, however, did not just stop at the ground. It froze the dead trees around and froze the top of the black lake in front of them. Touya slowly stood up, slightly hunched over, as he now tried to pinpoint the soldiers location.  
Then, they heard a loud crack coming from the lake, as if something was breaking the surface.

"Found him," Touya called over his shoulder. Kamuro nodded and reached into the inner flap of his jacket.

At the frozen lake, a deep crack was forming rapidly. For a moment, it seemed as if it had stopped, and Touya thought theyd have to wait painstakingly again for the soldier to reappear. However, the next instant, the enemy burst out from its watery prison like a volcano erupting and landed with a flourish just a few meters from them, dripping wet. Its faceless head turned towards them.

Knowing this was it, Touya charged at the soldier using his full speed.

The soldier pulled out a sword from its own body and held it up for counterattack.

At the last moment, Touya jumped down on his stomach, nearly avoided getting decapitated, and slid right under the confused shadow being.

"Hey ugly! Look over here!"

The soldier looked towards where Kamuro sat. In his hands, he held a pistol. "Ha ha, say hi to Hell for me," he said and pulled the trigger. With a loud boom, the bullet sped straight to the center of the chest cavity of the soldier and came out from the other side, bringing out the jeweled kunai with it.

The soldier roared in pain before turning into black smoke. Touya coughed and waved it away. He looked down and saw the kunai at his feet. Picking it up, he walked towards Kamuro.

The human wasn't looking at him, but at his wound that was still frosted over. He heard Touya stop beside him, but didn't acknowledge his presence. He was just staring at his wound. From the cut, black smoke identical to the one the soldier turned into was leaking out of his wound and the grey around it was going away. After a long moment, Kamuro lifted his head and said heavily, "We did a good job . . . working together and all."

Touya nodded. He looked around and saw that the grey was gone from the area and the ice was melting now. He turned back towards Kamuro. "We can either stay here in the great outdoors, or go back to the cave that might be still full of those millipedes," he suggested. "Since we can't go anywhere until tomorrow."

Kamuro and Touya shared a look. They were tired, drained of energy, and seriously injured. No way would they even take another step anywhere. "Here," they said simultaneously and laughed out loud.


	38. Chapter 38

The early rays of sunshine shone over the tops of the rugged hills of Makai. The light chased away the darkness in the coming of the new day. A new beginning too. Only one person was there to see it: Amaya. As was her custom, she had slept outside in the cherry blossom tree rather than sleep inside in the cabin with all the other guys. It would only be a matter of time before they wake up too, if they already hadn't.

A week before, after her team completed their scavenger hunt for the kunai, she and Jin had been the first to arrive back at camp. Hours later when the sun was at its peak in the sky, Touya came stumbling in the camp with Kamuro, his arm slung over the Ice Master's shoulder for support because of his leg injury. Amaya remembered how she had smiled at the two as Jin leaped into the air in pure joy and flew towards them. Amaya knew in the instant she saw them that they were finally acting as real teammates. Friends even. She knew her scavenger hunt would do the trick to get those two to trust in each other because that is what her team needs in order to win the Tournament.

And now, a week later, their wounds are healed up thanks to Amaya's healing techniques with the help from Touya, having learned them when he had trained with Genkai. All four of them were all stronger on the outside and inside especially, which they have all proved time and time again over the last week during training.

The sun was a third of the way above the hill tops. The female demon took the precious silence she still had until the males came to lean back on the trunk she had been sleeping on and close her eyes, letting the peace take her away. She inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet smell of the pink cherry blossom flowers opening up all around her in response to the new day. As the rays of the sun flashed upon her unconcealed face, the inside of her eyelids turned red, reminding her almost painfully of a certain fire demon that she deeply missed.

Amaya sighed softly.

_Hiei . . ._

* * *

A world away in a plainly furnished room, two of Hiei Jaganshi's eyes snapped open and the demon sat up fast on the bed mat he slept in. His mind was racing. He thought he had heard Amaya's voice saying his name, as if she were calling to him. But that was impossible. He had not been able to reach towards her mind for a telepathic connection ever since he and the other three boys had left Koenma's office. Sometimes during the deepest parts of the night where sleep seemed inevitable to him, he would wonder if something had happened to Amaya.

The full moon shone brightly in the night sky as Hiei soundlessly slid open his bedroom door, fully clothed. It seemed as if this was going to be yet another sleepless night. A bad thing too, since the Tournament was going to begin in two more days. Tomorrow would be the last day to train for Hiei and the others. Then, Koenma would open a portal for them to go to the loading dock where, like the Dark Tournament, they would sail to an island in the Makai to fight. He truly hated being pulled into another rediculous competition and having to fight just for the bloody entertainment of the demonic masses. He did _not_ liked to be used.

Closing the door behind him, Hiei stood in the open hallway for a moment, breathing in deeply the cool night air. It was nearly spring; he could feel it deep within his soul. Normally, he wouldn't care, but tonight, he seemed to want to take his time in considering the little things.

However, Hiei didn't want to dally for so long. In a blur, he raced towards the haunted marsh a few miles away from the temple in nearly no time at all. It was by accident when Hiei stepped into a bog that had been hidden by the long grass growing in the marsh.

Shaking his head in disgust, mostly at himself for being careless, Hiei pulled his now soaking leg out of the bog and shook it slightly to get rid of any excess water. Hiei chanced a look into the bog and saw his reflection. Then as a drop of water from his leg fell in the water and disturbed the surface, his reflection changed and he saw Amaya. She was smirking back at him, that coy, cruel smile of hers that he recognized very much as the one she used when she was Nightfire. He hated that smile on her. As if the reflection had read his mind, those desirable lips spread and turned up into a beautiful smile, the smile that had grown on Hiei and lightened his heart.

_No!_ I mustn't think of her! Hiei scolded himself and kicked at the water's surface, disrupting the image of the demoness that has his heart chained to hers.

Hiei walked deeper into the marsh, feeling his demonic spirit energy grow thanks to this place and its spiritual qualities. Hiei brought his right bandaged arm in front of him and began to unravel the wrappings. He must learn to control his dragon's power better so that he does not fall victim to it and lose his own life.

* * *

It was a battle of three verses one. Weeks ago, it would have been so easy to defeat them all since they had been all divided, but now it was a real challenge to even avoid getting hit. Kamuro, Touya, and Jin were all around her in a circle, each attacking her simultaneously and hoping that one hit would break her strong defenses. But they were very wrong. As the sun climbed up to its highest peak in the sky and began its descent, Amaya was still keeping the guys on their toes, and they with her.

Time to finish this, she thought. Amaya back flipped onto her hands suddenly and kicked her legs out, successfully hitting Kamuro and Jin, sending them flying away from her.

Amaya flipped back onto her feet and faced off with Touya.

"Shards of Winter!"

Amaya's eyes widened in surprise as she narrowly dodged the darts made of ice that Touya blew out from his mouth. She grimaced as one happened to slice her shoulder. Just another injury to add to her growing list. Amaya turned her blood red eyes towards Touya and glared at him. She faced him and as another set of his Shards of Winter attack came at her, she lifted her arms and cried, "Fire wall!" On either side of her, a great column of fire rose from the ground, and with a flick of her hands, she sent it at Touya. His darts melted instantly when contacting the fire. 

Touya's own eyes widened this time. He studied the walls height and took a chance.

Amaya directed the fire wall and began to close it around Touya, slowly making it tighter and tighter. Then out from the fire, Touya appeared, having jumped the burning column. Locking eyes, Amaya and Touya stared each other down, assessing the others condition. Although Touya had successfully avoided the worse of the fire, Amaya could see the front of his shirt badly burned and the skin underneath too. She herself had tired greatly during the training session.

A gust of wind blew her way, threatening to take off her hood. Jin and Kamuro, who both knew that they had lost, watched at the edges of the clearing.

As if a silent gunshot had gone off, Amaya and Touya simultaneously charged at the other. Touya lifted his arm and encased it in ice in the shape of a sword. Amaya jumped high over the swung weapon and sailed over his head. Landing on her hands, Amaya kicked back, connecting her feet to Touya's back and sending him sprawling forward on the ground.

Touya felt a rib crack as he landed and groaned. He slowly rolled onto his back and was confronted with the sharp edge of a katana just mere inches away from his neck. He looked up and saw the lips of the hooded figure above turn into a smirk.

"It's over," Amaya said and sheathed her weapon. Bending down, she carefully helped the demon back on his feet. She saw that he was taking especial attention to an area on his chest and figured the rest as she put a hand to the area and healed it.

"Woo! That was fun!" Jin exclaimed as he and Kamuro walked over to their teammates. "Wi' almost had the lass, too!"

Kamuro shook his head at the immaturity of the Wind Master. He looked to Touya. "You did well. For a demon," he couldn't help to add.

Touya glared at him. "And you could have done better, _human?_" he challenged.

Amaya's left eye twitched under her hood. Although Kamuro and Touya had solved the better part of their differences, one thing they (or at least Kamuro) would not let bygones be bygones is the matter of the intense racism between humans and demons. Amaya opened her mouth to reprimand them, but Jin cut in.

"C'mon lads! Let's go get us some fish from tha' river before it gets dark!" Jin said and beckoned for Touya and Kamuro to follow.

Amaya held up a hand. "Wait a moment. There is something that I need to tell _you both_," Amaya said, indicating the no longer bickering duo. Amaya had all their attention. "What I am about to show you," she started, "will _never_ be told to anyone else." Amaya sucked in her breath.

"What are you talking about?" Kamuro demanded impatiently. He was never in favor of beating around the bush.

"Quiet!" Jin told him. "Let the lass speak."

Amaya ignored the human. "My true name is Amaya Toshi. Nightfire is my alias." She pushed her hood back and revealed the face Jin had already seen nearly two weeks ago. Like the Wind Master's reaction, Touya and Kamuro were absolutely stunned; so stunned that they stayed silent for two minutes before Touya slowly turned to Jin.

"You knew about this?" he asked. Jin nodded.

Amaya cleared her throat. Her demeanor was much colder and distant, much like the first time they had all met her. It was not like the Nightfire, or should you say "Amaya" that they have gotten used to. When she knew the attention was upon her again, she said, "You must all solemnly swear not to tell anyone about my true form. If I so hear so much as a breath that you told anyone, I shall torture you mercilessly before killing you. Understood?"

There was a period of silence, longer it seemed than the last one.

Kamuro crossed his arms and "hn"ed. He noticed with some satisfaction that Amaya flinched. "We all have secrets, as you well know," he told her, almost defiantly. "You shall never catch me betraying your trust," he declared. Touya and Jin nodded.

Amaya's cold demeanor was broken like ice by a smile.

* * *

That night found Amaya in her cherry blossom tree at the very top, gazing at the sky. As much as she tried, she couldn't sleep this night. There were stars falling, a phenomenon in Amaya's eyes who had never seen such a thing before. She was startled when suddenly a familiar voice below said, "Spirits are crossing over to the next lifetime."

Amaya almost lost her balance on the highest peak of the tree she sat on, but caught the trunk, steadying herself. Annoyed and embarrassed of having been caught off guard, she looked down and saw Kamuro staring up at the falling stars two branches below. "What are you doing here?" she snapped, still angered, but only slightly. Amaya took a deep breath and felt herself instantly calm down. She thought about what this human said moments before and asked attentively, "Spirits - are crossing over?"

Kamuro tore his eyes away from the falling stars and looked up at the dark brown orbs peering at him. Amaya's hood was off. She was struck at how much sadness and pain his hawk-like eyes held. Kamuro nodded. He jumped up, caught the branch Amaya stood on, and swung himself neatly next to her. He stood up and straightened his clothes.

"The falling stars are really spirits," Kamuro explained and motioned for them both to look up. "When a person dies, they take the form of a star and stay in the sky. When the spirit is satisfied 

about the life they had left behind, they cross over to the next lifetime."

Amaya cocked her head to the side and squinted at the falling stars. She turned to Kamuro questioningly. "So what if the spirit is not satisfied with the life they left behind?"

Kamuro sighed softly, a sorrowful sound. "Then the spirit will watch over their loved ones until it is finally satisfied." He turned back to the sky.

Amaya watched him for what seemed like a long time, carefully weighing his words. "This is about Hotaru, your wife," she said finally. "What happened to her?"

Kamuro lowered his head so that his long hair shielded his eyes. "She was murdered . . . by that bastard Tatsuki." He muttered a string of curses in a language unfamiliar to Amaya. Kamuro took a deep breath then exhaled. He looked up and Amaya could see the pain he was in remembering.

Amaya held a hand up and reached up towards his forehead. "Let me see it through your memory," she ordered him, trying to ease some of his pain.

Kamuro looked at her with an unreadable emotion in his eyes, but closed them, trusting her.  
Amaya closed her own eyes and through the psychic connection they made, she was able to see him sort through his memories until a picture of a happy family of four came into view, two parents who included a much younger looking Kamuro, a grandfather, and a small boy of nearly six. They all stood in front of a two story house. Tall mountains surrounded their home.


	39. Chapter 39

"Tenchi! Don't go too close to the woods!"

The little boy with short, spiky hair and huge innocent brown eyes stopped at the end of the three acre vegetation garden where it marked the end of his grandfather's property. In front of him began the dark forest that he was told never to enter. His grandfather was the priest of the Masaki Shrine, their shrine which was surrounded by miles upon miles of cherry blossom trees.

The little boy Tenchi turned his back on the forest and pouted at the tall elder coming his way. "But Grandpa-san! There's something in the forest!" Tenchi whined and pointed in the direction where he swore he saw a pair of red eyes looking at him. Now they were gone.

Yosho Masaki shook his head down at his grandson and laughed, although to anyone but the six year old it sounded forced. "You and your imagination! Tenchi, you must never go into the forest. My old bones can't go with you everywhere, and you will make both of your parents worry!" Yosho may look frail on the outside, with his long graying hair nearly reaching the ground, glasses that sat crooked on his long nose, and wrinkles he had from both years of hard work and laughter, but his eyes, identical to his little grandson, still held a light in them that never seemed to leave. Being the mirrors of his soul, they still showed his strong fighting spirit under his old age. Yosho extended his hand and took his grandsons small one, and began to lead him away from the forest.

Tenchi looked back and for an instant thought he saw the red eyes again, but they were gone once he blinked. Tenchi looked ahead and saw that he and Yosho were headed towards his father, Kamuro Masaki.

"Kamuro, do I have to watch over little Tenchi all the time while you work the garden?" Yosho reprimanded his son-in-law's hunched figure.

"I'm not little! Tenchi pouted. "I'm almost six!"

Kamuro pulled out another carrot from the patch and tossed it over to the basket that was already full of vegetables. He stood up straight and stretched his aching muscles before looking towards the two newcomers. Kamuro was very different to the one Amaya, Jin, and Touya knew now. The Kamuro back then still had hawk-like eyes, but they danced with happiness instead of being filled with coldness and pain. The Kamuro back then had shorter hair that was damp with sweat and was just beginning to fall into his eyes. He was also less muscularly built.

Kamuro smiled down at his son and ruffled his hair affectionately. "Tenshi, you mustn't-"

"'Go into the forest', I know _chi chi_, but I saw a pair of eyes that were staring at me when I was trying to take a cabbage out of the ground!" Tenshi explained. He was too frustrated by not being taken seriously to notice how his father and grandfather exchanged worried glances between each other.

Kamuro smiled down at his son. "Come on Tenshi. Let's bring these vegetables back to the house so your mother can prepare dinner."

Yosho shaded his eyes and looked towards the east where the sun was slowly setting behind the mountains. "Good timing too. It's starting to get late," he noted. Quickly he glanced towards the forest. Yosho was a human with particularly strong spirit energy, and he had no doubt that something had picked up either his strong aura or that of his grandson's, although the boy didn't know it yet. Yosho turned to his grandson and began ushering him back towards the house with his father and the basketful of veggies in tow.

"Hotaru, we're home!" Kamuro yelled as he, Yosho, and Tenchi walked into their large two-story home. Kamuro walked past the living room, down the hallway, and through the two swinging doors that lead into the big kitchen they had. His beautiful wife, Hotaru Masaki and the daughter of Yosho, was preparing the rice at the sink.

Hotaru turned around when she heard footsteps and smiled loving at her tired husband. Like her father and her son, she also had significantly high spirit energy for a human, and from training from her father, knew how to use it if ever she or her family was in trouble. Her long midnight black hair was tied back so as to avoid falling into the dinner she was making.

"My, my. So much noise." Hotaru chuckled to herself. "How was Tenshi?" she asked as she walked towards the island counter they had and reached into the basket full of freshly picked vegetables.

Kamuro leaned on the counter and was instantly swatted on the arm by Hotaru. She was strict sometimes about things like that, especially since he was dirty from digging.

Kamuro cleared his throat loudly so as to get her full attention. In a serious tone, he said told her that Tenshi saw a pair of eyes staring at him from the forest when he was helping.

The carrot Hotaru had in her hands seconds before dropped on the ground and broke in half as she stared wide-eyes with fear at her husband. But then, Hotaru seemed to dismiss the thought about it being her son's imagination and laughed. "Boys and their imaginations," she teased, mainly directing the joke on her husband who had quite the imagination himself.

Kamuro smiled half-heartedly at his wife, but still remained worried and cautious throughout dinner. The reason why all the adults were so worried was that deep in the forest was a portal that was hidden in a cave. It leads to the Demon World, and Yosho was the sole keeper and guardian of the portal. Everyone was afraid that a powerful demon would come out one day and kill small Tenshi who didn't know how to use his spiritual powers yet.

The memory skipped a bit and the next scene Amaya saw was when Kamuro and Hotaru were being awakened by a bleeding Yosho.

"Yosho! What is it? Why are you bleeding?!" Kamuro shouted as he and Hotaru jumped out of 

their bed.

"T-Tenshi!" Yosho gasped. He was holding onto his left side which was bleeding. "He's kidnapped Tenshi!"

Kamuro was on red alert in an instant. He grabbed underneath the mattress a fine katana, the same one the Kamuro Amaya knew still had.

"Yosho, you must stay here. Hotaru and I will find Tenchi!" Kamuro told the wounded man.

Hotaru came to their side of the bed quickly, still clad in her nightgown. In her hand was an old wooden sword handle. "We must hurry Kamuro while I can still sense Tenshi's spirit energy!" she urged. Hotaru was struggling to maintain certain calmness in her voice, but knowing that her only son was in danger made it very difficult.

The scenery changed, and Amaya saw Hotaru and Kamuro enter the woods where their son had spotted a pair of red eyes watching him hours before. Deeper into the woods, and they came upon a large cave. And in front of that cave, bound and unconscious was-

"Tenchi!!" Hotaru cried and ran towards her son despite her husband's warnings to come back. Nearly reaching her son, a sadistic male voice called out from inside the cave.

"So here is the famed demon slayer Hotaru Masaki I've heard so much about in the Makai."

Hotaru stopped short from reaching her boy and stood legs spread parallel to her shoulders with her katana handle out in front of her in a defensive position. Her sweet, motherly demeanor was completely transformed, giving way to an ice warrior that radiated revenge and anger.

A menacing chuckle floated towards her and out stepped a demon from the cave. For a normal person looking in, the demon would have looked very much human except for the pair of red eyes that screamed bloodlust. However, that normal person would not have been able to detect the vast amount of demonic spirit energy radiating off of the demon, who was Tatsuki the Switchblade. Tatsuki stood at nearly the same height as Kamuro. He had long fire red hair that he kept in a ponytail that included straightly cut bangs that fell into his eyes and an earring on his left earlobe. Tatsuki smirked, showing sharp fangs in the place of incisors. He lifted both of his hands and balled them into fists. Instantly, metallic claws shot out from the knuckles.

"I've had orders to kill you immediately, but I'm just going to kill you all slowly for fun," he said casually, as if they were just chatting about the weather instead of murdering the humans.

Kamuro stepped up next to Hotaru and unsheathed his katana. "Not if I have anything to say about it," he threatened.

Tatsuki looked at him critically. When he could not sense any significance about this human, he scoffed. "You and what army, human? You are weak. I barely sense any of the power that your wife or puny son have."

Kamuro growled angrily and took a step towards him, but a hand from Hotaru stopped him.

"Kamuro," she said quietly for only him to hear. "You must save Tenchi. I will take care of this demon."

Kamuro looked at her like she was crazy. "No! You will get hurt! I won't allow it!" he hissed.

Hotaru whispered, "_Please_. Save Tenchi."

Things were fast forwarding now in such a pace that Amaya couldn't keep up. When the scene stopped, she was looking down at the dying figure of Hotaru Masaki. She had a deep wound on the stomach, one that could not be healed even by the best of healers, and has slashes everywhere on the surface of her once perfect skin. Her spirit energy was nearly depleted. Kneeling next to her were Kamuro, who had little injury, and little Tenchi who had not sustained any injury and was crying. Apparently, he understood the situation and knew that his mother was going to die.

Kamuro held onto one of Hotaru's hands tightly with both of his and brought them to his lips. His heart was breaking inside, threatening to shatter into a million pieces that would never be fixed. He was cold with dread and fear. She couldn't die! Kamuro was also filled with deep, painful rage. Tatsuki had escaped, although his beloved wife had given him a souvenir of this night across his face.

Hotaru smiled so very weakly at her boys. She told them in soft words how much she loved them, and how she would watch them up in the sky until they were happy again.

"_No!_ Mama, don't leave us!" Tenchi wailed and flung himself upon his mother's wasting body, holding onto the torn fabric of her nightgown tight. Tears streaked down his young anguished face, making tracks amidst the dirt on his cheeks.

Kamuro lifted the upper part of Hotarus weak body onto his lap and held her close, wishing for anything to come and stop this nightmare. If only it was a nightmare he would just wake up out of. A delicate hand reached out and brushed the moisture from his cloudy eyes. He wasn't aware that he was crying. He looked down at Hotaru for the last time.

She smiled; his last smile from her. "Take care of Tenshi Kamu-kun. I love you," she whispered. And then with the last of her strength told him something that would be forever branded into his mind, "The lone star tonight will always be watching its loved ones until they are reunited," and breathed her last.

* * *

Amaya wisely chose to break the psychic connection and withdrew her hand away from Kamuro's forehead. He turned away from her and looked back up at the falling stars. The red moon hung behind them like a person's face in the rain. They stayed silent for a long time, until Kamuro was sure the lump in his throat would not make his voice crack.

"We had her buried next to the Masaki Shrine," he said. "I left soon after, and let my heartbroken father-in-law watch over Tenchi until I would return from getting revenge." He reached into the inside of his shirt and pulled out a photograph. Its edges were frayed a little, but as Amaya took it, she could see the picture of a happy family of three standing in front of a cherry blossom tree. Amaya was startled when a finger pushed away a tear that had been unnoticeably trailing down her cheek and looked at Kamuro.

"I will help you get your revenge for your wife," she vowed.

Kamuro shook his head and took back the picture. "I do not need your help in that matter. You just showed me the door by bringing me to the tournament he is going to be at. It will be me, and only me, that will walk through that door."


	40. Chapter 40

The Cold Harbor was full of demons, waiting to board the boat that resembled a pirate ship. The ship, the S.S. Payne, would bring them to the island where the Makai Tournament would be held. Everyone was just itching for a bloody competition, in which their own team would be, no doubt in their minds, the champions.

The location where Cold Harbor was located at was surrounded by three sides of mountainous plains while the fourth side was the murky ocean waters itself. Atop of a hill directly facing the Cold Harbor and its inhabitants were four cloaked figures.

The leader who was not only the shortest of the group but the only female remarked, "Take a look at your competition boys. We will be killing them shortly."

"This is gonna be fun!" said one of the taller cloaked figures in a thick Irish accent. The hem of his cloak floated a few inches off the ground as with the rest of him.

The tallest of the four, and the only human, scowled. Racism dripped heavily in his words, "If I had known that this whole competition would be filled with vile demons, I would have found some other way to kill Tatsuki."

Amaya side-glanced his way. "Well, it is too late for that," she said crisply. "Now remember, don't reveal yourselves until we meet Team Uremeshi in the ring. We need our identities to stay hidden." She started walking down the side of the hill where the path led to the harbor. Her voice trailed up to the other three, "We must hurry, for the ship will be setting sail soon."

The demons all milled around on the wide loading dock, some were boisterous, and others were hostile. Many teams watched the other teams in suspicion of foul play. They were all different, with different goals, but one thing they had in common was to win the competition.

As the four cloaked figures exited out of the forest surrounding the Cold Harbor, no one took even a second glance at the group as they passed until one particularly huge and drunk demon nearly stumbled into the path of the shortest member of the group.

Amaya put a hand on the brute's scaly back and pushed him away, sending him flying into his other team members, all also as big and drunk.

"Keep out of my way _baka_," Amaya growled harshly. "Or see the face of death."

A deathly silence came over the whole crowd at those cold-blooded words. In that instant, they knew who was in their presence.

"I-It's Nightfire!" someone from the crowd shouted in horror.

Suddenly, Amaya and her other team members were being drowned in deafening whispers of the crowd.

"I'm out of here!" nearly half of the demons screamed in terror and made a run for the forest.

"I s-smell a _human!!_" the same drunk demon that had almost walked into Amaya yelled. He was being supported up by the other three of his team mates. He pointed a wobbly finger at the tallest cloaked figure behind the rest of the group. Uproar came from the crowd, many of them wanting to kill the human that dared join a demon tournament and for entering demon territory. For a moment, they had forgotten about the famed female assassin's presence.

Kamuro smirked wryly inside his hood. He met Amaya's angry dark brown eyes. --So much for keeping our identities hidden-- he shot at her, hoping she'd be reading his thoughts at that moment.

Amaya glared in his direction, eyes clouding blood red and spotted with obsidian black. --Don't you _dare_-- she spat in his head.

Ignoring the soft thump of a headache that she gave him, Kamuro smirked all the more. He raised his hands and flung off his hood. He relished the fear that thread its way through the demon crowd, and the terror that struck each and every one of their black hearts at the immediate recognition of the demon slayer, Nightwing.

And with terror among the crowd, came deep seated rage.

"YOU! Killer of my pack!" a wolf-like demon roared and charged after the human with its claws raised. No sooner had it reached Kamuro that Amaya chose to step in and powerfully grab that demon at its neck and lift it high in the air.

"How dare you attack my team mate!" she hissed so coldly that a shiver ran through everyone watching, still as stone. The demon's hands were holding onto her one hand as it spluttered and choked, the skin under the fur slowly turning blue. Amaya lifted the demon higher in the air and tilted her head up slightly so that the rising sun caught her face, letting the demon above see the face of his captor. "See the messenger of death and burn in Hell," Amaya told the demon before the hand that held its neck grew red hot and burned through its neck, decapitating the demon.

Amaya let the body fall in a heap. As the head came down, Amaya kicked it as if it were a mere soccer ball and sent is sailing into the forest. She turned to the crowd.

"Those who do not want to die, leave as the others have," she announced coldly. As a mad scrambling all around her group began after her words, Amaya spun on her heel to face Kamuro. "Put your hood back on fool!" she snapped. "That stunt you impudently pulled is going to cost us a great deal once we get to the island!"

Jin spoke up for the human as he sullenly did as he was told. "Yeh can't blame 'im for wantin' to show his true colors lass," Jin whispered so as not to be overheard. That didn't seem to be a problem since two-thirds of what was left of the crowd was now gone. Only three brave teams were left and all near the bow of the ship, far away from their team.

Amaya rounded on him. "Just shut up will you?" Her nerves were on edge at the moment, and the only thing that would placate them would be the arrival of the captain.

As if on cue, a harsh voice traveled down from the ship, "Arg. Ahoy down there! Come up ya damn scalawags, and let's commence this bloody trip!" All heads snapped towards the ship as a staircase appeared from the side of the ship facing the dock. At the top was a human-looking man that appeared to be in his late fifties. He was as rugged as any ship captain would want to be with a grey haired cropped beard and mustache. Matching caterpillar eyebrows sat above his pinprick-size eyes, narrowed as he scrutinized the remaining contestants there. The captain was as wide as he was short, with a stocky kind of figure. He wore a thick, brown overcoat with fur trimmings at the ends, a big cap that nearly fit over his whole head with the exception of his face, and wide boots that squeaked with his every movement. The wooden pipe protruding from his thin lips bobbed up and down as the captain grimaced in displeasure.

"Well come up, yeh land-lovers, and hurry on! We don't have that much time before the tide gets too big to sail!" the captain growled and motioned jerkily towards the stairs.

Amaya and her team mates took the lead as they were the first to board the S.S. Payne. Each of the remaining four teams were shown a section of the lower deck where the team would be staying for the trip. Every person had their own room that connected to the inner chamber where it served as a kind of living or gathering room. The furnishings were all shabby and threadbare from much use and hardships that the ship had suffered from before, but it was decent enough.

Jin threw off his hood as he and his team entered their quarters and jumped on one of the couches provided for them in the gathering room. "Finally! I can relax!" he yawned as he stretched leisurely on top of the couch.

"Move over and let me sit down Jin," Touya said as he walked over to his friend and also removed his hood.

Jin cracked open one of his green eyes and looked at the Ice Master hovering above him. "Nahh, I think I'll stay just here," he joked, but he obliged and floated up towards the steel-made ceiling. Touya crashed on the couch and closed his eyes for a quick rest up.

Amaya looked over at Kamuro who had his back to the door they had come from. "You may do what you wish until we are summoned to the upper deck," she told him, her dark brown eyes just daring him to try to pull a stunt like he had done in the Cold Harbor. She could feel the ship lurching forward, a signal that they had already left the dock and were on their way.

Kamuro, whose hood was still off, smirked and nodded. He had regained some of his cockiness back and was just itching to kick some demon ass.

Humans, Amaya thought as she walked off towards one of the bedrooms. For an unguarded moment, an image of Yusuke and her playing his games with a black box contraption entered her mind, but Amaya quickly shook that memory out of her head. She needed to meditate while she had some alone time in the confines of her temporary room.

The room resembled the decor of the gathering room, both shabby and barely furnished as far as Amaya could see when she turned on the hanging light bulb up on the ceiling. The twin bed had only a simple white sheet that was the blanket and a lumpy pillow atop an equally lumpy mattress. Amaya sighed, hoping theyd get to the island soon, and looked around. She noticed a grimy oval mirror above a rickety writing desk and took a few minutes to clean it up a bit. Amaya threw off her cloak onto the bed and studied her reflection for a moment. Many times before, Amaya had avoided looking into a mirror for a small fear of seeing a monster looking back at her. This monster, she always suspected, lived off her image as the cold-blooded Nightfire, and she sometimes feared that her ultimate form might become her only form, taking over her. What surprised her when she looked into that oval mirror was how much she looked so human. Her eyes danced in a way she had never seen before. It may have come from spending so much time with humans.

_Or it could be because of Hiei._

Amaya quickly turned away from the mirror and walked straight towards the lumpy bed. Sitting at the end, she sat in a lotus position and closed her eyes, concentrating on only her breathing until thoughts of Hiei disappeared from her mind. She definitely needed some meditation.

* * *

A knock reverberated throughout of the gathering room, waking up Touya and Kamuro on the couches. High above, Jin still snoozed, snoring loudly. Kamuro was on his feet in an instant and strode towards the entrance, flinging the heavy iron door open.

One of the ship's crew, a lizard-looking demon that only came up to Kamuro's chest in a sailor outfit stood at the door. "The captain'sss calling all teamsss to the main deck," the sailor announced while his forked tongue flicked in and out between his two pointy teeth.

"Tell your captain well be there in five minutes," Touya called before Kamuro closed the door on the demon's face.

"I'll get Amaya," Kamuro grunted and whisked towards the room their team captain disappeared into.

Touya stretched his arms up in the air and rotated his neck slowly in circles. He eyed Jin's sleeping form still floating up in the air and sighed. "Damn it Jin," Touya muttered. He walked towards the entrance, keeping eye on Jin. Forming a small icicle in his right hand, he threw it up at Jin's ass.

Jin's eyes snapped wide open and he screamed in pain. Jin shot up the air a few more feet, smacking right into the ceiling. He fell face down on the couch below with the icicle still protruding from his sore behind.

Touya casually walked over to the couch and snatched the icicle from Jin's ass, letting it melt in his hand. "You awake yet?" Touya asked conversationally and leaned atop the couch back.

Jin gingerly lifted his upper body with one hand as the other rubbed his very sore spot. "Whaddya hafta do that for?!" Jin shouted at Touya. His face, particularly his nose, was red from hitting the ceiling. Jin rubbed his horn too. "It better not be broken or else I'll have yer head!" Jin griped.

Touya chuckled. He stood up straight. "C'mon Jin, it's time to show up those wannabes in the main deck."

The pain in his ass in the past now, Jin jumped off the couch onto his feet. His long, pointy ears wiggled excitedly. "Yahoo!" Jin exclaimed and pumped a fist in the air.

"Well since we're all pumped up from our rest, let's not keep everyone waiting any longer," said the voice of Amaya from behind. Touya turned around and came face to face with both completely cloaked Amaya and Kamuro. Taking their cue, Touya and Jin put on their hoods so their heads were concealed.

Amaya nodded. "Let's go."

"Well ye laddies and lass took yer precious time," the captain, dubbed unceremoniously by the passengers Captain Canker, growled from his place above the Captain's Cabin where the steering wheel was also located. He glared at the four cloaked figures coming out of the staircase that led to the lower decks. All the other teams had already assembled on the main deck.

Amaya ignored Captain Canker's death glare at her team and faced him with both hands on her hips in a defiant gesture.

Captain Canker cleared his throat to get everyone's attention and once he got it, spoke, "Here are the rules. You all have to fight and eliminate the other three teams to get into the tournament. It's just like the Dark Tournament, so at the sound of the gun shot-"

_Boom!_ The sailor up the main mast accidentally misinterpreted his captain's orders and had fired the gun.

"Oh for the love of Pete! Just begin then!" Captain Canker roared.

It became evident to Amaya's team who were the ones against whom. They had all been cornered in the middle by the other three teams who all had menacing grins on their faces. Each of Amaya's team members was back to back to each other.

"What should we do?" Touya asked as he conjured his Ice Sword and held it up defensively. The crowd around them was slowly tightening the circle.

"We fight. That's what we should do," Amaya shouted as she drew her katana her bi-colored eyes flashing with adrenaline. "Jin, take the ones in the front, Touya at the left, and Kamuro closest to the captain! I'll go to the right!" Asserting her decision, Amaya jumped in the air and landed in the thick of the left side of the crowd. Already, she could hear cries of death from where she had left her team mates as she too began slashing her way to victory. With a few difficulties, Amaya cut and burned her way through the demons back towards the center of the deck. She was soon met by Kamuro, then Jin who flew above the crowd, blowing the opponents into the water, and lastly by Touya who froze his opponents and then shattered the frozen statues with his sword.

"Touya, freeze the deck while we cover for you!" Amaya commanded as she flipped over a big brute of a demon and then stabbed him in the back, through the heart.

Touya broke his Ice Sword and kneeled on the bloody deck. He laid his hands atop the sticky, wet wood and began freezing the deck, including the last of their opponents.

As the cleanup crew, Amaya, Jin, and Kamuro either shattered the pitiful ice statues or tossed them overboard until there was no one left but them.

High above the Captain's Cabin, Captain Canker grunted, not that impressed. They were all holding back their true potential. Nevertheless they had won and were the victors.

"Well mi' hearties, you are the winners, and we have reached the island," he grunted and gestured to what lay in front of them.

Amaya, Jin, Touya, and Kamuro turned towards the front of the ship and beheld a crescent-shaped island with a volcano in the center of the island. The volcano looked dormant, a sleeping giant waiting to erupt at the very slightest disturbance.

Amaya stepped up to the hull of the ship and laid her hands on either side of the railing. She knew what would lie ahead on that island the captain was dubbing Crescent Tear Island. A whole lot of chaos and treachery was going to go off once the Payne landed on the dock. The salty, cold air whipped at her face and Amaya half-closed her flashing blood red and obsidian eyes against it. The loading dock was in full view and bustling with the arrival of the other teams.

We're finally here, she thought.


	41. Chapter 41

The pier that the S.S. Payne anchored at was much more crowded and chaotic than the Cold Harbor's. Tournament officials with bright red scarves around their necks stood near the water's edge and watched the contestants closely for brawls that were predictable to happen. Once in a while, Amaya could hear as she and her team walked down the staircase a shrill whistle coming from either her left or right. A crowd of various demons usual surged in the direction of the sound, making Amaya believe that a fight had started between the teams.

"When can we see Uremeshi and his team?" Jin wondered out loud as he, Touya, Kamuro, and Amaya leading walked off the ship. His long pointed ears wiggled underneath his hood with excitement.

Touya carefully scanned the crowd of demons under the shade of his hood. "I guess we'll just have to wait to fight them," he said.

As Amaya and the males of her team stepped onto the pier, Amaya jerked forward as something hard hit her on the back of her head. Overcome by the dull pounding on her head, she stopped walking and was almost run over by Kamuro. Stepping out of his way, Amaya turned back to the Payne and locked angry eyes with the captain.

Captain Canker removed his pipe from his mouth and yelled down at her, "I better not be seein' you and yer boys fighting like ya did on my ship when I watch ye in the tournament! You hear that? Fight with yer whole heart!"

Under the hood, Amaya raised her eyebrows in surprise. So the old man isn't as much as a canker sore as I thought. Amaya smirked and raised a hand in salutations. After receiving a final wave from the captain, she turned back to her team mates who all looked down at her in equal disbelief.

Amaya smiled and walked past them like nothing had happened. She looked over her shoulder and saw that they still hadn't moved. "Let's go everyone. We must register and then get our- oof!" Someone had walked right into Amaya, sending her nearly falling off balance. She grabbed hold onto the offender's shirt to keep herself upright.

Rough hands pushed her away. "Back away now, lest you should find yourself greatly handicapped," a male voice growled warningly.

Amaya's jaw dropped at the familiarity of that rough voice. She stood up straight and looked into the crimson red eyes of Hiei. A hard lump formed in her throat at the sight of the handsome demon. A thousand thoughts crossed her mind, but she was instantly pulled back to reality at the sound of Kamuro's voice.

"If you haven't noticed, you were the one that had bumped into my team mate," the demon slayer said, apparently not aware of whom he was talking to. "Now apologize!"

Hiei's hand went immediately to his katana, but felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked at the owner and saw Kurama giving him a look. Hiei grunted and relaxed a little.

Kurama looked over at the team in front of Hiei and him, taking note that they were all wearing cloaks. "I must heartily apologize for my friend's behavior," he told them, particularly the smallest one of the group. "He did not mean to bump into you, so this was all a misunderstanding. I hope that we could be friends and forget this little scuffle." For a moment, Kurama felt a presence in the back of his mind, and Hiei's voice filled his head, --Hn. Look at the feet of the second tallest member-- Still keeping eye contact with the group before them, Kurama did as Hiei instructed and looked at the second tallest member at the corner of his eye. The bottom of the cloak hovered at least a good three inches above the ground, and with no sight of the feet. Interesting, Kurama thought.

Amaya could sense something was amiss. She cleared her throat to bring the attention of her team mates towards her. "Let's get out of here and register. I smell the stench of a human lover," she growled low enough to make her voice unrecognizable, adding the last bit for her own benefit. She looked towards Kurama and Hiei for a long moment in a fake show of superiority before leading her team away.

Hiei glared at the short leader and turned on Kurama. "And you apologized to _that_?" he more than stated furiously.

Kurama however was deep in thought as he kept his intelligent emerald eyes fastened at the cloak hem hovering above the ground before it disappeared into the crowd. "Very interesting," he murmured to himself.

"Hey guys!" a raucous voice yelled towards them.

Kurama and Hiei turned towards the source of the voice and saw the rest of their team battling with the moving crowd to get to them.

Yusuke pushed an official and sent the demon careening into the water. "You moron!" the demon yelled, but Yusuke paid no attention as he and Kuwabara stopped in front of Hiei and Kurama.

"There ya guys are! We've been looking all over for you!" Yusuke yelled over the din.

Kuwabara turned to Hiei, his small duffel bag slung over his shoulder. "Yeah shrimp! You shouldn't go off like that on your own! You might get beat up or something!" he shouted. "Or run over," he added in an undertone when a monstrous demon walked past their group.

Hiei glared at the big human oaf. "You should take more care with those words before I shove them up your-"

"Ah ah, Hiei!" Kurama quickly intervened between the two.

"Yeah you two, lay off for a while. Save it for the other teams, will ya? We haven't even registered yet!" Yusuke said and motioned for them to follow him.

Kuwabara and Hiei glared at each other for a second before following their team captain with Kurama in tow. As they neared the dome shaped stadium where the teams were to register, Kurama pulled up to Hiei. "That team we just encountered back there might be a formidable one," he commented lightly. Anyone but Hiei would have thought that Kurama was merely complimenting the other team, but to Hiei's trained ears, he could hear the underlying tone that suggested his fox friend was trying to make a point.

"Hn, their short leader has not the spirit energy to even come close to rivaling even the _baka_," Hiei grunted and nodded over to Kuwabara's back. They entered a huge tunnel that led into the dome. The tunnel was packed full of loitering and/or registering demons. One scaly demon came in between them and momentarily separated the two demons as they walked around him. Once walking side by side again, Hiei added in a darker tone, "And that little _baka_ was one to talk about 'human lovers'. The tallest of that team, the impudent one, reeked of human stench."

Kurama gave Hiei a long side-glance, but otherwise did nothing about his friend's prejudice to the human race.

They had finally reached the inside of the stadium. The stadium reminded Kurama of the one Team Uremeshi fought in their last round at the Dark Tournament. As the fox reincarnate and his team mates moved closer to the register tables stationed in the center of the ring, he wondered where the cloaked team was at that moment.

* * *

Up upon one of the balconies jutting over the fighting ring, a pair of eyes watched Team Uremeshi as they registered down below. The eyes flashed and constantly changed from dark brown to a blood red. As they held their gaze on Hiei of the Jagan Eye, those eyes immediately gave way to a deep, almost loving, brown. A soft sigh escaped the owner of the eyes' full lips.

"Let's go to our room now, Amaya. We want to see our accommodations."

Amaya Toshi tore her eyes unwillingly away from Hiei and turned towards her waiting team mates. "Alright," she conceded and led the way out of the balcony.

What Amaya didn't know was that at the same time she turned her attention away from Hiei, another pair of emerald green eyes had seen her cloaked figure high up in the balcony. Those eyes flashed a brilliant gold for a moment, but flashed back to a contemplative green in the next.

"It was them."

Kurama did not need to turn towards the deep, disgruntled voice belonging to Hiei. He kept his eyes glued to the spot where the cloaked figures had been. They had finally reached the register table where Yusuke and Kuwabara were supposedly taking care of business for them all.  


Hiei grunted. "I would not bother with them, Kurama. They are of no importance."

Kurama turned to Hiei and seriously told him, "And that's where I have to disagree with you, my friend." Hiei grunted again. "Where one might think of another of no importance that other will come to be a surprise, indeed. And," Kurama added a bit dryly, "often than not, the surprise is a rather unpleasant one."

Hiei was spared replying back when a huge commotion at the entrance attracted the attention of not only Kurama and him, but everyone else in the stadium. Seconds later, the demons that were forming at the exit to the arena were all flying in all different directions.

Hiei saw a random demon flying in his direction and mere inches from him, Hiei kicked the demon off to the side where it flew into the stands. Being short had some of its disadvantages, but not now since he stood up on the fighting arena.

Hiei could see perfectly four demons walking, or more like strutting, in the stadium. Three were male, and the last, female, looked like a ninja or assassin from her dark attire. The female looked human, but from the demonic energy flowing from her, Hiei knew the outward appearance was a hoax. The female had raven black hair that was cropped short in the back, but long, almost down to her shoulders, in the front with bangs that almost obscured her deadly looking eyes. Around her neck was a deep red scarf, the only color than the black the rest of the clothes she had on. Showing from the sleeveless top was a tattoo of a cross was etched onto the pale skin of her upper left arm. Strapped to the wide leather belt atop the black short shorts she wore was a wide sword that swung back and forth as she and her team mates slowly made their way up to the registering table.

Two of the males looked like brothers, both cat demons with cat ears and a long tail to match. Their yellow eyes surveyed the fear that had pervaded some of the contestants in the stadium, and two inch, extremely sharp fangs that almost reached their chins were showing plainly from their wide smirks. The cat demons were the bulk of the group, and looked stupid but dangerous still.

To the female demon's left was a demon that Hiei was most familiar with because he had sometimes come face to face with Tatsuki the Switchblade. The sly, blood thirsty demon was piercing Hiei with his blood-lust filled gaze as his team stopped before Hiei's team.

"Ah, we meet once again Jagan Wielder," Tatsuki drawled, each word coming out almost lazily as if they had seen each other too many times before this. "My, you are still a short one, eh?"

Hiei deliberately ignored that comment, mostly because Kurama gave him a warning look when he saw Hiei's hand discreetly going for his katana.

However, Tatsuki took Hiei's silence as a chance to bait him some more. "From what I hear Hiei, is that you finally got yourself landed in Spirit World prison and that you are not serving community service." Tatsuki laughed condescendingly, not knowing that Hiei's hand was moving towards his katana again. This time, Kurama didn't have the power to stop what happened next. Tatsuki immediately stopped laughing and instead screeched out loud for everyone to hear when he was pierced on his shoulder.

"Listen now, and listen well," Hiei whispered into Tatsuki's ear as everyone looked on like frozen statues. "You cross my path and push my endurance again, and you shall find yourself without a tongue to piss off another person again." Hiei pushed away from the injured demon, taking his katana with him in a single fluid motion. He flicked the blade expertly, removing the majority of the blood before sheathing it. Two rough hands grabbed hold onto both of Hiei's arms and he found himself being literally dragged out of the arena. Hiei looked up at his captors and found Yusuke and Kurama the owner one of the hands. Kuwabara was leading them to their hotel room.

"Man Hiei, you've got some guts!" Yusuke exclaimed as they took a path that led into the forest surrounding the dome stadium. There were no more people hanging around, all having left for their hotel rooms or packed into the stadium.

"Hn. Having 'guts' does not have to do with anything Uremeshi. And let go of me now you _bakas!_" Hiei yelled up at them.

Kurama and Yusuke shared a look. Yusuke winked and they both plunked Hiei onto the ground without a warning.

"Hey c'mon you guys! There's the hotel!" Kuwabara slashed away some brutal-looking bushes with his spirit sword and pointed to the hotel they were staying at. Beyond the hotel was the sea, for the hotel stood atop a low cliff that jutted over the sea.

Yusuke cheered. "Helloooo masseuse! Give me my backrub!"

"Race ya Uremeshi!" Kuwabara yelled and grabbed his bags.

Yusuke did the same. "You're on fat-so!" And they were off in a flash.

Kurama and Hiei, who had picked himself up, walked towards the hotel in their friends' hurried wake.


	42. Chapter 42

Amaya stood in the lobby of the hotel her team stayed at, very conscious yet still uncaring of the curious or suspicious looks thrown at her from the other teams. She waited, arms crossed and eyes closed, and she thought of her surprise encounter with Hiei. _Shimotta_, he could still take her breath away and send her pulses racing. Amaya was spared blushing for her thoughts when she picked up the sound of pairs of heavy footsteps making their way over to her. Amaya lifted her head and opened her eyes to meet those of her three male team mates.

"We're finally ready?" she asked, and heard a slight creep of fatigue in her voice. She was tired from all that happened today, but she knew that this day wasn't over yet.

Her team mates nodded and with Jin leading, they made their way to the elevator and to their rooms. Getting off on the 13th floor, they walked down the stretch of the hallway and stopped in front of two rooms.

"Touya and I are gonna get this one here," Jin said and opened the door to their suite. Tossing the extra card key to Kamuro, he and Touya entered their room.

"Ladies first," Kamuro said and opened the door of their room for Amaya.

Amaya bit back a retort, having found his words offensive, and walked into their suite. With the kitchen to their right, and a closest on her right, the room opened up to a large living room area complete with comfortable looking couches and a big coffee table in the middle. The huge bay window gave them a sweeping view of the vast ocean in front of them. A hallway off to the right side of the room led to three doors, the middle being the bathroom with two bedrooms on each side. A door at the far left corner of the living room was a connecting door between their suite and Jin and Touya's suite.

"I'm going to unpack now," Kamuro said as he closed the main door and strode past Amaya towards the bedrooms, carrying his duffel bag.

Amaya took that as a good excuse to go to her own room and so followed him. Kamuro claimed the bedroom on the left and Amaya obligingly took the one on the right.

Amaya took once step into her room and immediately felt a familiar demonic aura outside her window, which faced the front of the hotel. Amaya closed her door softly behind her and swiftly walked towards the window to the left side of the bed. She opened the sliding glass gently and peered outside. Her eyes widened and her heart began to pound at the figure that had just emerged out from the doors of the hotel.

* * *

"I can't believe you bumbling imbeciles took us to the wrong hotel," Hiei growled angrily as he led the group out through the ocean side hotel's glass doors.

Kuwabara soon followed with Yusuke and Kurama at the rear. "Aww shuddup, will ya shrimp?" the large human complained. Keeping his temper in check, Hiei led them back into the forest and deeper until they had reached the right hotel that they were assigned to stay at. Getting their room, which was just one large one for them all to share, they unloaded their things on their beds and looked around their meager living space.

"Heh, not as good as the room they gave us in the Dark Tournament!" Yusuke grumbled as he took out a can of Yoohoo from the kitchen refrigerator and gulped down its contents.

Hn, humans. I've slept in worse places, Hiei thought as he looked around the spacious room, arms crossed and bored. At the corner of his eye, he spied something in the window at the far corner of the room from where he sat on his designated bed, and as quick as a flash, Hiei was at that window and peering out of it suspiciously.

"Saw something Hiei?" came Kurama's voice from right behind him.

Hiei's eyes cautiously swept the heavy forest area around their hotel. "Someone was watching us," he murmured to Kurama.

His companion nodded. "I had a feeling someone had been following us since we left that hotel by the ocean," Kurama said as he braced his back against the wall next to Hiei. He crossed his arms and his brows furrowed in concentration. "One of the teams, perhaps?" he asked Hiei. Kuwabara and Yusuke were fast asleep on their beds, unaware of what was happening.

Hiei nodded and placed both his hands on the window sill. He stood there for a moment before turning his back on the window. "Hn, whoever it was, they're gone now," Hiei muttered and walked towards his own bed. However, in the back of his mind, Hiei knew he saw the hem of a cloak that had flown behind one of the trees.

Down below that same window, where a tree stood off to its side, Amaya emerged into view from the tree's tall shadow. She tilted her head up to the window, so the dying sun showed the contemplating look she had upon her face.

"Close. Very close," she muttered, chastising herself for almost getting caught. Hiei saw me, Amaya thought. No matter. "We'll see each other soon enough."

* * *

The next day was the official start of the tournament. As it turned out, both Amaya and Hiei's teams would begin their first fights on that day. Amaya's team was the first fight, held in the morning inside the great domed stadium. Their opponents were called the "Fresh Four".

"Everyone ready?" Amaya asked her team mates. She wasn't nervous, for herself or for her team mates. Her team can take on this team with little to no problem. They stood inside the shadow of the tunnel that led into the stadium. Amaya checked over her shoulder to make sure each of the guys' cloaks were secure and completely covering them before leading the way through the tunnel exit.

The stadium was tightly packed with demons of various races. The cheers and other noise from the audience of demons was deafening to the ears as Amaya's team entered the stadium and onto the ring where the "Fresh Four" and Koto, the energetic fox demon girl that was their referee, were waiting.

As Koto addressed the crowd about the tournament procedures and rules, Amaya quickly scanned the benches and the demons sitting on them. She spotted them immediately.

Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, and Kurama sat in the front pews directly above where Amaya's opponents would watch their team mates fight in the ring.

"So it was good that Yusuke and Kuwabara brought us here," Kurama murmured in Hiei's ear as he closely observed the cloaked team, whom Koto introduced as "Team Sparta".

Hiei grunted, whether it was in annoyance or agreement, Kurama wouldn't know because his attention, and everyone else's, was drawn towards the center ring where the fighting finally began against a team mate of the "Fresh Four" and the tallest member of "Team Sparta".

"Team Sparta?" Touya asked his short captain to his left on the bench. Jin was on both feet, cheering with the majority of the crowd for Kamuro, dubbed "Birdman", a name Amaya herself had picked for his codename. "Birdman" was displaying excellent tae kwon do moves on his slightly shorter, yet stockier built opponent.

"Yes Sparta," Amaya replied causally. "They were an elite empire in the Human World who loved war and were ruthless to the core." Kamuro was moving fast against his opponent, but Amaya and many demons above class C could still see his movements. In a matter of minutes, four in all, from when the fight had started, Kamuro had drawn out his sword quickly and beheaded his opponent, insuring his victory.

The crows roared its approval of the carnage, not knowing that the person whom they were cheering was in the terms "a despicable, weak human".

The next fight was Jin's. Having been warned ahead of time by Amaya about not revealing his true identity too soon, Jin kept his fight ground level. This fight was particularly hard for him because he had to limit the amount of times he used his Tornado Fist. However, Team Uremeshi, especially Uremeshi himself, still became suspicious.

"Hey, doesn't that look like Jin's move?" Yusuke asked his companions as the said cloaked figure ambushed his opponent again by using the attack. The opponent, completely taken by surprise, couldn't defend himself and was thrown out of the ring, unconscious even before he collided head-first into the stands.

"Do you think this team steals demons' fighting techniques?" Kurama wondered out loud. His team mates were silent at those words. This tournament was proving to be as treacherous as the Dark Tournament had been.

Touya's fight was over and done with before it even started. The opponent that was supposed to fight Touya saw what happened to the first two and took off with his tail between his legs, literally, for he was a cat demon.

The last member of the "Fresh Four" was the team captain. Amaya hadn't gotten a look at the captain before and by the looks of it, neither did anyone else. The team captain wore a large scarlet cloak with fur trimmings on the hem of the hood, which completely covered their head. The captain, who Koto announced as Lucretzia, seemed to glide onto the work out fighting ring. The hood turned to Amaya's direction, and Amaya could plainly see glowing red eyes gleaming with malice. A delicately pale hand stretched forth from the wide sleeves and beckoned Amaya forth in challenge. It did not matter to Lucretzia that her team already lost. Amaya read her easily accessible thoughts. All Lucretzia wanted was to win this small victory where her comrades had failed theirs.

Amaya tilted her head over so slightly and smirked. How foolish of this one, she thought.

The noise from the crowd rose up higher as Amaya stepped into the ring, opposite of her opponent. Koto gave the signal and the match began.

"You truly think you can beat me?" Amaya asked amidst the screams and chants for blood and mayhem from the demon spectators. A tinkling kind of laugh floated down to Amaya.

"Oh, I don't think I can beat you," a snide voice from the scarlet cloak said, a great contrast to the laugh. The delicate hand grasped the cloak and flung it open with a flourish, revealing the slim figure that had been hiding underneath. "I _know_ I can beat a weakling like you," Lucretzia added.

The male demons, which meant the majority of the crowd, went wild when they laid eyes upon the woman that had been hiding from under the scarlet cloak. Lucretzia's slim figure was covered from neck to toe with various tattoos. A single tattoo that appeared to be a thorny vine snaked from around her neck and up the right side of her face. Lucretzia was bald, save for the four deadly spikes sitting in a row atop her head. She wore a very skimpy black leotard with black boots.

Lucretzia smirked widely, obviously reveling in the male attention. "You have seen my true self, now let's see yours," she challenged. Her words were accompanied by a roar of approval from the crowd, who had momentarily forgotten about seeing blood.

"They won't do it," Hiei muttered to himself up in the stands. He was not disappointed.

Amaya pushed back her cloak so her katana protruded out. She withdrew her beloved weapon from its confinement and pointed it at Lucretzia.

The tattooed opponent laughed condescendingly. She held out her hand. Amaya watched in fascination as the vine tattoo unwound itself on her neck like a snake and made its way towards her outstretched hand, becoming a real vine-like whip resembling Kurama's weapon.

"Clever," Amaya murmured appreciatively. Her opponent was transferring her demonic spirit energy into her tattoos and so making them "come alive".

Lucretzia thought Amaya was being sarcastic and swung her weapon at her in anger. Amaya bent down low on one knee quickly and watched as the thorny weapon passed over her head. Amaya looked up at the enraged Lucretzia, the action illuminating her red and black colored eyes for only her opponent to see. Then in front of Lucretzia's eyes, Amaya disappeared.

She's fast, Kurama noted in the stands. He watched as the cloaked figure appeared close behind the unsuspecting Lucretzia.

"I don't think Koto properly introduced you to your killer. I am Nightfire," Amaya whispered for only the now terror-stricken Lucretzia to hear.

Basic instinct now overtook the demoness, else she would have died that very moment. As Amaya lifted her katana for the deadly blow, Lucretzia swung around and kicked Amaya full on the stomach, sending her careening back from the blow. Taking advantage of this opportunity and with thoughts of glory in mind, Lucretzia attempted to trap Amaya with her whip. Amaya saw her opponents plan and held out her katana. The whip wrapped around her beloved weapon, and it was yanked out of her hands.

"Yiiikess!!" Kuwabara yelled as he looked down at the wall below him. The cloaked figure's katana was lodged firmly in the wall.

"Hey, it looks familiar," Yusuke said as he too looked down at the weapon.

Hiei's eyes first widened at Yusuke's words and then narrowed suspiciously as he studied the familiar designs on the katana. He turned his attention to the battling opponents in the ring. The cloaked figure was in a pickle, for Lucretzia had her whip wound tightly around the arm that had once held the katana.

"Got you in my mercy Nightfire!" Lucretzia breathed excitedly. Her glowing red eyes were widened in wonder at this incredible feat she pulled off. She caught Nightfire!

"Do you really, now?" Despite the amount of pain shooting up her arm, Amaya grabbed hold onto the whip with her free hand, and with her fire powers, burned it into ashes.

"WHOA! Did you see _that?!_" Kuwabara exclaimed. Yusuke nodded. Kurama and Hiei exchanged looks.

Lucretzia screamed in outrage and agony as she staggered away from Amaya, her arm burned as well as her neck and face, the areas where the vine tattoo had been housed in her skin.

The tattoo must have been part of her also, Amaya figured as she stood up straight, waiting. Blood slowly dampened her torn sleeve and dripped onto the tiles. Around her, the crowd cheered wildly.

Lucretzia flung out her arms and gave a shrill battle cry that rocked the stadium and deafened many of the audience's ears. Behind her, Kurama, whose ears were very sensitive, was suffering the most. Suddenly, the screams had ceased and all of Lucretzia's tattoos became real and began to attack Amaya. "Souls of the Furies!" Lucretzia screamed with triumph. She watched as Nightfire tried to fend off her creatures with her good arm in vain. Nightfire was weakening from blood loss and her good arm wasn't her most skilled arm.

The creatures were tearing at Amaya's cloak, trying to take it off. Lucretzia laughed at Amaya's plight. Amaya could hear Jin, Touya, and Kamuro behind her,trying to tell her something, but she wasn't paying attention. She had spotted her katana, lodged in the wall directly behind Lucretzia.

Lucretzia smirked. Bloodlust was rising in her very vins. She must finish this and then proclaim glory for killing the infamous Nightfire. As if she had read Lucretzia's thoughts, Nightfire turned towards her and put out her weaker hand as if it were to stop her. "Too late now!" Lucretzia cried and launched herself for the kill.

"Hey you guys, check out the sword!" Kuwabara yelled, sounding greatly alarmed. Team Uremeshi's eyes were upon the weapon, which was extracting itself out of the wall by unseen hands. "It's possessed!" Kuwabara added in panic.

A familiar child-like voice reached their ears. "No Kuwabara, it's her!"

This is it! This is my moment! Lucretzia thought wildly as she approached Nightfire. Her glowing red eyes seemed to burn into her opponent. She planned to plunge her hand into Nightfire's chest for the final blow, but she never got as far as raising her hand. Something suddenly pierced her from behind, and she stopped dead in her tracks, her face a mere two inches away from Nightfire's outstretched hand.

"How?" Lucretzia gasped. Blood dribbled down her chin. Her creatures flew back to her, housing in her skin as tattoos once again. Her pale hands reached towards her abdomen where a bloodied blade protruded from.

Amaya winced slightly as she pulled herself together and stood up straight. "I'm psychic," she replied simply. Amaya slowly walked around Lucretzia and then mercilessly pulled out herkatana from her body. Lucretzia gasped and slumped at Amaya's feet, dead. Amaya sheathed her katana. Amidst the renewed uproar in the stadium, she swung around and locked eyes with the four boys of Team Uremeshi. Raising her bloody hand, she drew a line across her neck, earning much cheering from the crowd who wished to see Team Uremeshi lose. As Amaya dropped her hand, she spotted someone who surprised her for coming to a place like this: Yukina. She wasn't alone, of course. Keiko, Boton, and Kuwabara's sister Shizuru were there with Koenma and George the purple ogre.

Amaya turned her back on them all and returned to her team mates.

"You had Touya and Jin worried back there," Kamuro commented when she stopped in front of them.

Touya and Jin immediately began to protest.

"You were the one acting worried _baka!_" Touya yelled above Koto's booming voice on the PA.

"And so why is it I that get the deadlier opponent of the team?" Amaya cut in before the human could make a comeback.

At this, all the males on her team either smirked or chuckled. "Well, yeh are the captain lassie," Jin piped up.

Amaya rolled her eyes and turned to the tunnel that led to their locker room. "Good job team. Now let's go. We need to heal before Uremeshi's battle starts in the afternoon," she called.

"'We'? You mean _you_ need to heal!" Kamuro called after her. His hawk-like eyes widened and he narrowly avoided a fireball coming his way. "Hey, watch it!" he hollered.


	43. Chapter 43

Koto's energetic voice boomed all over the stadium as she addressed her enthusiastic audience late afternoon. "And now it's time for our second bloody and exciting fight of the first day of the tournament to begin!" she yelled into her mike and waved her free hand around wildly down in the newly repaired fighting ring. Her fox ears twitched excitedly at gruesome thoughts of what could happen in this battle.

The crowd went wild, and all the more when Koto introduced the first team of no real significance. However, when the fox emcee began to introduce Team Uremeshi, her voice was instantly drowned out by rigorous hisses and death threats from the audience.

"Die humans!" many yelled. "Kurama, Hiei, you're going to be torn limb from limb and then your hearts will be paraded through our streets!"

Amaya's team observed everything. They were fully healed, but were starting to feel effects of becoming deaf from the roars of the demons around and behind them. Kamuro, Amaya, Jin, and Touya, all cloaked, sat in the same exact seats that Team Uremeshi had sat in during their fight.

Amaya sat between Kamuro and Jin, her short height even more emphasized by the tall two. These insults to the members of Team Uremeshi, who were still after all her friends, were grating largely on her nerves, especially those insults directed at Hiei. Her dark brown eyes followed Hiei as he aloofly walked out of the tunnel with his team mates.

He scanned the crowd, half in boredom half in disdain. His crimson red eyes immediately locked onto dark brown ones, and for a second he thought he was looking into Amaya's eyes, but when he blinked, the eyes were gone and he realized he was looking at Team Sparta in all their cloaked glory. They all watched him and his team, completely covered from head to toe, and looking like judges of Judgment Day with the masses of demons as the witnesses to their trial. Hiei glared at all of them, and snubbed them by turning away and walking towards his waiting team.

"Aaand last but certainly not least, the infamous Hiei of the Evil Eye!" Koto cried and flung out her hand towards the black-clad demon. Renewed and vigorous booing and hissing accompanied her words.

"Down with the three-eyed freak!" yelled a demon behind Amaya who had one eye himself.

Amaya's left eye twitched under her hood. Her knuckles cracked as her hands formed tight fists in her lap.

"Death to the traitor Jagan-_Ugh!_" The demons around their area recoiled away as the dead corpse fell back with a hole through its chest.

Amaya glared warningly at the fearful demons and wiped her soiled hand on the carcass' clothes before turning back to the front. The demons all moved cautiously back to their seats, careful to avoid the body, and sat deathly quiet.

Kamuro clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Temper, temper," he muttered, thinking that the cause was just mere annoyance. "You demons are all vulgar creatures. You're always thirsting for battle." He glared all around loathingly.

Amaya, Jin, and Touya pointedly ignored his comments as they watched Team Uremeshi's battle unfold. After heckling with one another, Yusuke and the other team's captain finally had decided an all out team melee. Having an awesome view of the whole fighting ring, Amaya had all eyes upon Hiei and watched as he fought his opponent. She knew she shouldn't have been watching only him and was vital that she be observing Yusuke more, but for this first fight she wanted to indulge herself after not seeing Hiei for nearly two months now.

"They had improved a lot since the last time I saw them," Touya remarked as he and his team mates maneuvered their way out of the stadium and through the crowds that were filing out through the exits. Amaya could have easily transported them back to their hotel suites via shadowing, but she didn't want to incur more suspicion from Team Uremeshi if they had been keeping a close eye on them at the present moment.

Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, and Kurama had all won in the melee using extraordinary team work and in once case pure luck when Yusuke had been blinded temporarily by his opponent and had taken a wild shot, actually killing his opponent.

Amaya still remembered Yusuke's clear message to her team when Koto pronounced them as the victors. Yusuke had looked over towards the part of the stands where her team sat. The teen had flicked his nose and raised his fist eye-level, thumb stuck out and then he gave them the thumbs down sign. The crowd had both cheered and booed at Yusuke's proclamation. Amaya had laughed silently to herself at his impudence.

"They trained with Genkai," Amaya told Touya as they stepped through the stone arch and walked into the afternoon sun.

"I know that old woman," Kamuro said. "I once tried to get her to train me, but she rejected me, saying that I had the making of a great slayer, but she wasn't ready to pass her techniques to a pupil yet."

Maybe I'll train one day with the famed demon-slayer too, Touya thought.

--Think you can survive her harsh training? Uremeshi wasn't the only one trained by her--

Touya shot Amaya an annoyed look. "Don't you have anything better to do that look into my thoughts?" he hissed under his breath.

Amaya tilted her head so that he could plainly see her smirk and the wickedness that danced in her dark eyes. "Perhaps," she replied. Amaya felt someone close to her other side and looked up to meet Kamuro's eyes. "Yes?" she asked.

Kamuro stopped walking which forced Amaya, Touya, and then Jin when he noticed to also stop. 

"They've found us."

Upon instinct, Amaya whipped around and came face to face with Team Uremeshi. Instantly, her team mates gathered around her closely. Amaya saw that a large circle had been made around their teams. Bystanders included even Keiko, Shizuru, and Yukina who all stood close to the boys.

"And so what is it that we owe this little chat?" Amaya asked tauntingly. Her sarcastic, cynical side was taking over. "Didn't you make your message clear enough for us?"

Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei all glared at her. Kurama stepped forward and held up his hands. "Please everyone, save it for another day," he said.

"Yes, give yourselves time before we defeat you," Kamuro added.

The watching crowd jeered at Team Uremeshi.

Kamuro smirked under the protection of his hood, but a deep voice behind him completely wiped off the smile from his face.

"You should watch your back next time, human," Hiei growled. His katana clinked as he moved the blade up towards Kamuro's head. "Or next time-"

"Hiei, stop that this _instant!_" Koenma had suddenly appeared amidst the girls in his teenager form with George in tow. He had his imperial look and was glaring most severely at Hiei.

In a flash, Hiei was back to his team mates, his face a mask of marble stone once more.

Amaya stepped forward and swept Koenma Daioh a mocking bow that fueled the crowd's cheers for her own team and the insults to the other. "My Prince," she snarled hatefully. She snubbed him this time by turning her back on the angered prince and led her team away from the place.

"When I find out who she is, she's getting it!" Koenma fumed, shaking in suppressed rage. He turned to the bystanders and let out some of his anger on them. "Well?! What are you _waiting_ for? Show's over and get out of my sight!!" he screamed at them. Everyone began to scatter.

George the Ogre leaned towards Boton. "My, master Koenma is in a rage!"

Boton covered her smile with her kimono sleeve as she watched her boss yell at all the demons scuttling by.

"Yusuke, you were great!" Keiko told her boyfriend. Then she hit him hard over the head. "Don't you ever worry me like what you did back there!" she added.

"Yeeoowwch! Keiko! It's me; I always make you worry no matter what I do!" Yusuke complained as he grabbed his head and hunched over in pain.

Kuwabara laughed and pointed at his friend. "Hah Uremeshi! She really has you in the palm of her hand!" He turned around and saw Yukina standing, there. "_Yukina!!_" he yelled with his heart in his eyes and grabbed onto the ice maiden's hand. "My love, I will win all my battles in your name!" he swore fervently.

Yukina smiled sweetly, not at all embarrassed by his show of love. "You don't have to do that Kazuma," she told him.

Shizuru walked up to them and put her hand on her brother's shoulder. "You did yourself well little bro," she told him. "But you still could have done better," she added.

"Thanks sis," Kuwabara said.

Everyone was distracted enough so that they didn't notice that Kurama and Hiei weren't participating in their prattle. They walked a little off to the side to give them their space.

"So what do you think of Team Sparta now Hiei?" Kurama asked his old friend as they stopped next to a fountain and continued to watch the humans and Yukina interact with each other. "Still think they aren't important?"

Hiei turned his back on the sight of Yusuke giving Kuwabara a noogie for some slight the latter said and looked at his reflection in the fountain. His reflection's lips moved. "They are bothersome," he replied emotionlessly. "More so the short one."

Kurama didn't want to add that Hiei was also short. "Yes, didn't she remind you of Amaya?" Kurama asked quietly. "She does exhibit many of the powers and fighting style that are traits of Amaya."

Hiei thought back to what Kurama had suggested when they had been watching Team Sparta fight. "It can be possible that Amaya's fighting style had been copied," he muttered. He was vaguely getting the feeling that Kurama was implying something else other than what he said earlier.

Kurama nodded. He smiled when Keiko went to break up the wrestling Yusuke and Kuwabara had started between themselves by hitting them both hard, knocking them out cold.

"I think Yusuke and Kuwabara need some assistance getting back to the hotel now Hiei. We can wait and observe if our theories are correct about Team Sparta."

Hiei stayed where he was for a moment longer, staring deeply into the water. For a moment, he saw in place of his reflection the cloaked female of Team Sparta. Her hands went to her hood and pulled it away, revealing Amaya's face, and her full lips smirking up at him coyly, intimately. Hiei closed his eyes tight and swiped at the water, disrupting the picture before turning his back on the fountain to help Kurama carry their unconscious team mates back to the hotel.


	44. Chapter 44 Touya and Jin

Two weeks passed since the start of the tournament. Every team participating fought each other over those two weeks, whether against their own team mates for some teams or fought in the arena against other teams. Slowly the number of teams dwindled down from the 16 that had first arrived on Crescent Island to just only four teams left, including Teams Sparta, Uremeshi, and Tatsukis team called "The Crushers". The fights were becoming bloodier, and many teams did not hesitate to get rid of the competition so they could be declared the winner by the fault.

Over those same weeks, each team member of Amaya's team had some sort of encounter with a member of Team Uremeshi, except in Kamuro's case, Tatsuki the Switchblade.

It started with Jin and Touya.

Crescent Islands main inner coastline was not only a harbor full of piers for ships to anchor in, but it was also a long boardwalk. Its old wooden planks were uneven and some were even missing, sending anyone who couldnt have seen the missing plank went down into their watery graves. Many various shops also lined the boardwalk opposite the piers and were a popular tourist attraction for the curious and often weird things found in those shops.

Activity had died down considerably in the boardwalk, and at least a week after their first fight, Jin got bored and had talked Touya into joining him to explore the boardwalk without their other team mates' notice. Against his better judgment, Touya had agreed and had followed Jin out of their suite without the identity protection of their cloaks.

Jin breathed in deeply the salty air that came from the ocean as he and Touya walked past the shops that didn't quite catch their attentions and through the crowd also at the harbor for that same purpose. Jin was very relaxed and happy that he wasn't wearing that itchy black cloak Amaya had given them to wear. He liked the feel of the wind on his skin. He looked behind his shoulder and noticed that Touya didn't seem to be enjoying their walk as much as he was. Touya's glazed eyes seemed to eye everyone passing with suspicion and he took great care of where he stepped. Jin slowed down to allow his friend to catch up.

"What's the matter Touya?" Jin asked as he took care to keep in the same stride of the Ice Master. "You should be enjoying this beautiful day!"

Touya quickly glanced over his shoulder before turning his attention to Jin. "We really shouldn't be here, well at least not without our cloaks," he said quietly as a group as laughing female demons passed them.

Jin rolled his eyes and then clapped Touya good-naturedly on the shoulder. "C'mon Touya, have some fun! Nothin' bad is gonna happen to us." A joke shop caught Jin's eye. "Ooh! Let's go in there!" Jin cried, stopping in front of the shop and pointing at the windows. Without waiting for an answer from a skeptical Touya, Jin practically flew into the shop.

Touya shrugged and followed inside. Maybe Jin's right, Touya thought as he looked around the small shop. None of the merchandise seemed interesting to him or had any purpose.

Jin was having a blast looking through all the jokes on the shelves. His long, pointy ears wiggled excitedly as he surveyed a plastic eyeball that swiveled around on its own.

"No way! Jin?!" someone yelled at the end of the aisle.

Jin recognized the voice and perked up immediately. That voice belonged to Yusuke Uremeshi. Jin turned towards the end of the aisle and saw that his human friend and the other human in his team called Kuwabara were coming towards him.

Yusuke grinned and grabbed Jin's head, giving him a playful noogie. "What the heck are you doing here of all places?" Yusuke asked, but he was actually happy about running into the friend he had made during the Dark Tournament.

"It's good to see you again," Kuwabara added behind Yusuke.

Jin laughed and slipped out from Yusuke's grip. "I'm-" he started.

"Jin!" Touya called from the other end of the aisle. His eyes widened upon seeing who was with his friend. _Shimotta_, Touya cursed inwardly. Playing it cool, Touya strode over to the group and cracked a smile at the familiar humans. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Hey Touya," Yusuke answered. "We're here for the tournament. You two?"

"We're here for the tournament too!" Jin blurted out.

Touya glared daggers at him, and was thankful that neither of the humans saw.

"You're in the tournament? How come we've never seen you guys?" Kuwabara asked.

Jin opened his mouth to reply, but Touya stepped inconspicuously on his toe. Jin clamped his mouth shut and whimpered. "He means that we're here to _watch_ the tournament," Touya amended.

Kuwabara bought it and nodded, but Yusuke gave Jin a weird look.

Touya saw the look and quickly said, "Well we got to go now. See you guys later."

Yusuke looked at Jin, whose eyes were tearing up a little since Touya still had his foot over his, a second more before turning to Touya. "Sure," he agreed and nodded. "Maybe we can hang out again."

Touya nodded and took his foot off Jin's before steering his companion clear out of the shop before neither of the human's could say another word.

Kuwabara turned to Yusuke with a puzzled expression on his face. "Is it me, or did Touya seem a little stressed back there?" he asked.

Yusuke nodded. "You're right, but he actually seemed more than that, Kuwabara. Jin didn't act like himself when Touya joined us either," he said slowly. Their wonderings were interrupted by beeping coming from Yusuke's pocket. Yusuke jumped in surprise and took out his communicator. "Yeah?" he said into it.

"Yusuke, Koenma wants you and Kuwabara back in the hotel suite," Kurama's voice emanated from the small device.

Yusuke and Kuwabara nodded. "Hey Kurama, we just bumped into Jin and Touya a minute ago," Yusuke told him.

Kurama's eyes widened in surprise. "Jin and Touya?" he asked.

Yusuke nodded. "But they didn't seem to act themselves, or at least Jin did," he said seriously.

Kurama thought for a moment, and then turned his attention back to Yusuke. "Well, I think we should wait until you two are back in the suite," he told them.

Yusuke nodded and closed the communicator with a snap.

* * *

"That was _close_," Touya hissed in Jin's ear as they stepped out of the elevator and walked to their suite. "They're going to figure out that we're the ones fighting on Team Sparta!" he fumed.

"Aww c'mon Touya! They're not gonna figure it out 'cause yev given them a good excuse already," Jin reassured him.

They had reached their suite. Touya took out their suite key and unlocked their door. Pushing it open, he strode into the room but then froze once he reached the living room.

"What's the matter . . . ?" Jin started to ask but saw who was sitting on their couch.

Amaya's back was turned to them, but she knew that their eyes were wide with fear. She held up one of their cloaks high enough for them to see. "And so why didn't you wear your cloaks?" she asked dangerously. Her eyes flashed from dark brown to red with black flecks.

Jin knew that it was really his fault for not wearing cloaks and tried to tell her. "Well-"

"Wrong answer!" Amaya roared as she shot up from the couch and rounded on them. "Who saw you?!" she demanded.

Touya and Jin recoiled, but didn't answer.

Amaya read their minds and shouted, "_Yusuke and Kuwabara!!_ You _bakas!_ How could you both be so careless?"

"It wasn't Touya's fault!" Jin cut in quickly. He could see the thin sheet of sweat forming on Touya's brow and knew he had to own up. "I was the one who convinced him to come with me exploring without wearing cloaks," he explained guiltily.

Amaya opened her mouth to shout at him, but was interrupted by a loud thud heard from the open door that led to her suite. She looked towards the door and back to Touya and Jin before swiftly walking to her suite with the two other demons in tow. Amaya's eyes widened in surprise when her dark brown eyes laid upon Kamuro lying flat on the floor. He was breathing rather heavily as if he had just come back from a battle. His eyes were closed and his face was contorted into a grimace. Blood seeped into the front of his black cloak from three long gashes, leaving a dark stain that was spreading.

Amaya turned to Touya and Jin. "Touya, get the first aid in the bathroom. Jin, go get a cold wet towel from the kitchen," she ordered.

They nodded and quickly set out to complete their tasks, faces masked with concern.

Amaya hurried over to Kamuro and kneeled down next to him. "Kamuro, how bad are your wounds?" she asked him quietly.

Kamuro groaned and cracked his eyes open slightly. "Hey," he croaked. He tried to move but then hissed in pain, grabbing his stomach in reflex.

Amaya pried his hand away and took a look at his wound. His other wounds were very minor compared to this one. "We need to stop the blood flow immediately or you could die," she said. Standing up, she used her telekinesis to gently move Kamuro onto the couch. At that moment, both Touya and Jin had returned to the living room. Amaya took the wet towel from Jin and placed it on Kamuro's perspiring brow while Touya set the first aid on the coffee table and proceeded to take out alcohol and gauze.

"No need for the alcohol Touya. I'm going to heal him using my aura," Amaya told him. She kneeled back down next to Kamuro and placed her left hand above his gashes. Concentrating, Amaya's body soon began to glow red.

Kamuro watched as Amaya's aura transferred to her outstretched hand and to his wound. He immediately felt his injury repairing itself, stopping the blood flow and mending the broken tissue while the pain gradually ceased until he felt almost good as new.

Amaya stopped glowing and took her hand back, breathing heavily through her nostrils and feeling a little faint. Repairing that injury took much of her aura as well as her spirit energy, leaving her weak as if she had been running for a long period of time. She looked at Kamuro and smiled wearily at him. "Good as new?" she asked him, but she knew that he did feel good as new. Putting a hand on the arm rest, she helped herself onto her feet as Kamuro sat up on the 

couch. Amaya tested her legs before removing her hand from the arm rest and crossing them over her chest with a stern look in Kamuro's direction.

"Now, tell us what the hell happened to you," she demanded.


	45. Chapter 45 Kamuro and Amaya

Kamuro took a deep breath, wincing as his sore muscles stretched and then loosened with that simple action.

Amaya leaned on one leg and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well?" she asked impatiently. She blew a strand of her short hair away from her eyes.

Kamuro sighed, "Well, you all better get comfortable because this might take a while."

"We have time," Jin and Touya chorused, both concerned for their friend and also grateful for turning Amaya's wrath away from their direction.

Kamuro studied them for a moment, watching curiously the plays of emotions chasing around their faces, but chose to ignore it. Kamuro closed his eyes wearily, remembering exactly what had happened that morning.

He had woken up early, so early that from his window he couldn't see the sun yet. It was still dark outside, just being chased away by pink tinged dawn. Kamuro got dressed in jeans and a black muscle shirt. Deciding to leave his jacket, he threw his cloak on, strapped on his katana, and made his way out of his room.

Stepping through the glass doors, Kamuro looked up at the sky and noticed that the sun was just starting to peek out its fiery eye above the forest trees. Kamuro secured his hood and began walking off into the forest, deep in his memories.

"And then out of nowhere, he came out from behind a tree, as if he knew I would be in the forest."

"Ah Nightwing, pleasant to see an old foe," Tatsuki snarled as he moved away from the tree. "Don't think you can hide from me with that ratty old cloak as a disguise." Tatsuki chuckled sinisterly. His movements reminded Kamuro like a jungle cat stalking its prey.

Kamuro could guess how Tatsuki it had found out it was him. Besides Yusuke and Kuwabara, he was the only human in the whole island with a very high spirit energy level.

"How is that little boy of yours? Still weak is he?"

At the mention of his son, rage quickly consumed Kamuro. He immediately withdrew his katana and pointed it at Tatsuki. "I will kill you once and for all," he yelled and unwisely ran at him.

Tatsuki smirked and drew out his claws. He jumped over the human, slicing him in the shoulder, delighting in the howl of pain he heard as he landed cleanly on his feet. "Want some more of that?" Tatsuki jeered as he drew in the claws of his left hand. "Only one set of my claws is enough to beat you. You see, I want you to stay alive so I can kill you in front of millions when our teams verse each other."

"Shut up you monster!" Kamuro roared. "You have no shame, no remorse for what you had done to my wife! Why? Why her?"

Tatsuki almost amused by the humans interrogation. "Why her?" he asked. He pretended to give the question some thought before smiling sadistically. "Because I was ordered to get rid of her. She was proving pesky with guarding that small barrier between our world and your world. Anyways, I didn't really care if I actually followed the orders or not. I just wanted to see how strong she was, so as we demons say, 'Survival of the fittest. If you are weak, then you don't deserve to live.' And it's obvious enough she didn't deserve to live." Tatsuki cruelly laughed out loud, the laugh seeming to come out as a bark.

Kamuro ground his teeth, his breath coming out in long, heavy bursts as if he had been running hard. That maniac bastard! He will pay. Kamuro yelled and advanced towards Tatsuki again. Kamuro swung his blade from the side, but Tatsuki blocked it with his arm and with his right, he slashed deep down Kamuro's vulnerable chest. Tatsuki's eyes widened in delight as blood spurted out from the three gashes and onto his clothes and face. He pushed Kamuro to the ground and licked the blood around his lips.

"Delicious," he growled and grinned wolfishly.

Kamuro slowly picked himself up, using his scabbard to help him maintain his balance. His breathing was laborious and hard, and blood was flowing fast down his front.

"If you . . loved that, then here's my parting gift!" Kamuro said. He lifted his katana high in the air. High above was the last of the full moon that still hung in the edge of night's dark blanket. The blade began to glow so bright, Tatsuki had to cover his eyes. "Blade of the Moon!" Kamuro cried and swung his katana at Tatsuki. Out from katana came a blade of light that shot towards Tatsuki. The demon instinctively jumped back but cried out loud in pain as the shining blade cut deep into his stomach.

"An eye for an eye," Kamuro mumbled grimly before passing out.

When he came to, Tatsuki had gone from the spot where he had last seen him, but had left a message in blood on the tree nearest to him.

_You were lucky this time. When we meet again in the ring, we will finally settle this..._

Amaya looked at Kamuro but did not really see him. She was caught up in her own thoughts. After a few moments, she said, "I have not seen that attack of yours. You must be like Yusuke and Kuwabara; humans that have spiritual powers. When you are properly healed, we shall see what other powers you posses."

Kamuro nodded. "I must kill Tatsuki. This is my final chance for revenging my wife."

* * *

Amaya stood atop the hotel roof and looked at the sunset. It was a truly magnificent sight; something that she would never had paid attention to before. Her hood flew off from the salty winds accompanying the crashing waves down below, whipping her short shoulder-length hair in all directions. Her heart was heavy for Kamuro. He lost his love and must now live a life built on revenge while his little son must live with his grandfather, never knowing either father or mother.

A tear rolled unbidden down Amaya's pale cheek. She couldn't begin to think of what would happen to her if she had lost Hiei in any way. She truly missed being with him by now and just wished that the tournament would be over soon so she can be once again in his warm embrace.

Amaya looked up at the rising moon in the wake of the fall of the sun and smiled ironically. This is what Hiei has turned her into. Something she would have never thought she'd be in all her years of living. He had turned her into a person who loved and was loved back. She was turning weak with this love and compassion that he had opened like a locked door in her heart.

Sometimes such thoughts like if demons can ever love with their whole hearts crossed her mind, but she always ignored them. She did love Hiei. She was attached to him in a way that frightened her at times. She wanted to tell him she loved him, but she didn't even know if he truly loved her.

Amaya closed her eyes. _Does Hiei love me?_

* * *

"So you two are saying that Touya and Jin could have something to do with Team Sparta?" Koenma, in his baby form glory, did not look that serious as he surveyed the two humans of his Spirit Detectives sitting on the couches opposite the demons of his Spirit Detectives. The girls and Jorge were off in the boardwalk looking around at the shops.

Kuwabara, Yusuke, and Kurama nodded. Hiei stayed silent, lost in his own thoughts. Frankly, the humans bumping into old tournament opponents were a mere coincidence. As for Touya and Jin acting "weird", Hiei thought they had been weird from the beginning, especially the happy-go-lucky Jin the Wind Master.

"We believe that Jin and Touya may have a hand at helping Team Sparta," Kurama spoke up.  
A thoughtful look crossed Koenma's child face. "You mean that those two are in that team," he said. "It can be possible."

Yusuke flung his body back onto the couch and whistled low. "And all this time, Jin was in the tournament and I didn't know!" he exclaimed. "That damn rascal!"

Koenma sternly wagged a finger at his direction. "Now Yusuke, we don't really have solid evidence that Jin and Touya really are two of the four members of Team Sparta," he cautioned.

Yusuke shrugged. He closed his eyes and put his hands behind his head, intertwining his fingers.

Kuwabara saw that this conversation wasnt really going anywhere anymore and excused himself to fix something to eat.

Kurama looked over to his left where Hiei sat, silent and gazing at the window outside. Kurama looked at Koenma and cheerfully asked, "So have you had any word from Amaya, Koenma sir?"

Yusuke's puppy brown eyes snapped open and he looked at Koenma with interest. "Yeah, we haven't heard from her in ages!" Yusuke cried. "She's missing all the excitement here!"

Hiei glared at Kurama in his reflection in the window, but gave no other sign that he was moved by this question. Nosy fox, Hiei thought. Secretly, he was actually glad he wasn't the one to ask for he had been slightly concerned when they had not heard from Amaya since the start of this whole mess.

Koenma pulled at his collar nervously and cleared his throat. "Well, it slightly pains me to say that we still had not heard anything from her since I gave her that mission to retrieve the Necklace of Henka," Koenma replied cautiously. His eyes slipped towards Hiei's direction and saw that the demon was giving him his full attention. And the look in Hiei's eyes frightened Koenma so much that he turned to look back at Kurama and Yusuke's concerned faces.

"Couldn't you trace her using the communicator you gave her?" Yusuke suggested.

Koenma's forehead seemed to shine with sweat at that moment. "Um, we did," he replied in a small voice.

"And did you find her?" Hiei asked in a dark tone, but he already knew the answer.

Koenma inched away from Hiei, completely avoiding his eyes. He shook his head. "We only found the communicator in front of the scene of a gigantic burning building in the Makai. My spies think that the demon responsible for stealing the necklace must have teleported himself and Amaya elsewhere from our reaches." Koenma dared to peek at Hiei and saw no one sitting in his spot. Koenma did a double take, thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him, but they confirmed that Hiei was no longer in the room. Koenma felt a cold draft and whirled around, seeing the window behind him wide open. "Oh dear," he murmured worriedly. "More paperwork."

"Don't worry Koenma," Kurama reassured the tiny ruler. "I'm sure that Hiei won't do anything rash."

Yusuke gaped at Kurama in disbelief. "'Won't do anything _rash_?' Did ya see the look on his face? He was pissed off! I can't blame him that much, I mean, not knowing if Keiko might be in danger or maybe seriously hurt would piss me off too. Man, I'll be sorry for any demon that meets _him_ in the woods!"

* * *

Hiei ran hard, passing by the trees as a blur. His mind was in a tumult of emotions that confused him and made his thoughts chaotic. There was a pain in his chest that thumped with his every heart beat to remind him that the news the child ruler had told them had actually affected him in a large way.

Hiei slowed down and then finally came to a stop, breathing hard through his nostrils, but not from being tired. He couldn't come close to thinking that somewhere in the Makai or Human worlds, Amaya's life could be in danger. Hiei shut his eyes tight and clenched his fists so hard that if his feelings weren't so much in turmoil at the moment, he would have felt the pain his nails brought to his palms as he dug them deep into his skin.

_No, I can't lose control now. The _onna_ will be fine! She always is . . ._ Somehow those words did not seem to reassure him as he thought they would. He couldn't bear the thought of actually losing Amaya when he finally had found her.

Hiei reached for the back of his head and untied his bandana, revealing his infamous Jagan Eye that rested in the middle of his forehead. The eye opened and began to glow purple, setting off soft purple shadows against the trees and ground surrounding him. Hiei used his eye to try to locate Amaya, but could not feel her spirit energy anywhere in the Makai plane or the Human plane. Worry was slowly starting to eat at him. And for a moment, the image of the short cloaked leader of Team Sparta crossed his mind. Like before in the fountain's reflection, the leader's hands pushed back its hood to reveal Amaya's face, her familiar smirk playing around her lips.

Hiei immediately erased that image from his mind and snapped open his eyes, which almost widened to see a cloaked figure standing fifteen feet of him, if not for his sheer will force to not show the unwelcome figure that he had been caught off guard. Hiei tied his bandana back on his forehead and withdrew his katana. The soft purple light was gone, making Hiei realize that it was twilight now. He had been gone from the hotel for a long time and he had not realized that either.

Looking at him was almost too much torture in Amaya's eyes, who wished to be _with_ him instead of _against_ him. In another time and place, when she had never been changed by either him or the rest of his friends, Amaya wouldn't have been filled with all this commotion in her heart, but that was then, this is now.

Amaya took a step towards him. "I thought I felt an _angry _demonic aura whizzing past me in the forest - and I was right," she added with a smirk. Her red and black eyes traveled down from his face to his chest and off to where in his right hand was his katana. "Violent too."

Hiei glared at her, keeping his temper in check. Whoever this leader of Team Sparta was, they were going to pay for their insolence. "Do you speak to me so because you wish for death?" he hissed. A cold, mocking laugh reached his ears and in a split second the hooded figure was gone from his sight.

"How could I wish for Death when I am His own messenger?" whispered a deadly voice in his ear.

Hiei swung his katana behind him instinctively, but the blade past only through air. He scanned the area around warily. "Who are you?" he demanded in the air, for the figure was hiding again. 

He could not sense their spirit energy.

It was very dark, giving her the advantage so she could shadow anywhere in the area without him sensing her. Amaya stepped out from the shadows behind him. Hiei finally located her, spun around, and threw his katana.

Before Amaya could have time to register what had happened in those few precious moments, she was pinned to the tree from its shadow she had come out from by her right arm. Hiei's katana blade was pierced so deep into Amayas right arm that the blade held her firmly in place on the tree. Her double-colored eyes were wide with shock and fury; the pain had not been properly registered through her body yet. She watched partly in annoyance, while the other part of her included her racing heart, as Hiei strode over to her immobile body which was rocking with pain now.

Hiei's eyes glared down at the orbs looking back at him. As much as she tried to show impassiveness in her eyes at her present situation, Hiei could see pain from her wound creeping into her eyes.

He got so close to her face that Amaya almost shivered from both the adrenaline racing through her mind and the cold look he was giving her. Her eyes watched his lips move.

"Now tell me, _who are you onna_?" Hiei demanded.

Even if she was caught in this compromising situation, Amaya could not help but lift her head high enough so the light from the stars illuminated the smirk from under her hood for Hiei to see. "You truly believe I would tell you, _baka_?" she added the last part on a whim. She delighted in seeing the familiar fire light up in his crimson eyes at her insult.

Hiei whipped out his hand and slapped her hard, smugly satisfied in the loud smack he had given her. He whipped out his hand again and pulled her head back. From the star lights, he could see half of her face and where the shadow covered the rest of it from the cheeks up, the other half exposed to him. Her left cheek, he was pleased to see, was a dull red. Somehow in this situation, Hiei found that he really craved to know the whole face under the hood. And in a flash, Hiei was back in the past in a time before he knew Amaya as herself but as the infamous assassin Nightfire.

Reading every single unguarded thought, Amaya then became alarmed and knew that she had overstayed this little "chat". Out from the dark, tentacles shot out and wrapped themselves around Hiei, drawing him away from her. Amaya grabbed onto the katana and wrenched it out of her arm without even a whimper of pain. She threw the katana at Hiei's feet and clutched her injured limb close to her body. Amaya scrutinized Hiei for the last time until their match. Even in the light of the stars, where it showed perfectly every angered contortion of his face, he was handsome in her eyes.

Amaya slowly walked up to him. Seeing her approaching, and believing that she would pay him back for his previous _kindness_ to her, Hiei began to struggle in vain against the familiar bonds that held him. Wait, familiar? Hiei stopped struggling long enough to look closely at the bonds. They came from the shadows! Hiei looked back at the hooded figure drawing closer to him.

"Who are you?!" he demanded, despite his present state.

Amaya stifled from laughing in his face. She lifted her left hand and let is slide leisurely down his cheek, leaving a trail of her own blood from the wound he had given her.

"Such impudence. Well, we shall meet again Hiei of the Jagan Eye." Upon an impulse that suddenly gripped her, Amaya swooped down and kissed him softly on the lips. When she stood up straight again, she looked closely at Hiei. He was stone faced, but his eyes betrayed all. They were filled with confusion, anger, shock, and . . . longing?

Amaya, pained at the realization, couldn't stay anymore. She swung around and disappeared amidst the shadows without another word.

As soon as she was gone, the shadow bonds released Hiei and he dropped unceremoniously onto the ground. Hiei slowly rolled himself onto his back and looked up into the distance between him and the stars and tree branches ahead. What had just happened back there? Why had she . . . done _that_ to him? Why . . did it feel so familiar?

And then Hiei knew. All evidence pointed to it, to her. And all at once, Hiei was overcome by an incredible rage. Oh, his _baka onna _was going to pay alright. He wouldn't tell the others. If he knew her by now, including all her treachery, Hiei knew she would reveal herself soon.

_Soon._


	46. Chapter 46

It has been a week since Hiei and Amaya's last confrontation in the woods. Amaya dared not go out during the day, for she knew that Hiei had finally figured out her identity.

It was finally the semi-finals; Team Sparta would be going against Team Tatsuki. The day before, Team Uremeshi had fought their semi-final battle in which Kuwabara had sustained a nasty injury that had left him in a coma-like state. Of course Amaya didn't know any of this. She couldn't go to the match because of her small fear that Hiei would publicly call her out. Faking a reason to the boys (who did not know that Hiei knew), she had let them go instead and after had forced out from them every detail of the matches.

The day of Team Sparta's semi-final match had not given Amaya a good start. Once she had woken up even before dawn, as was her usual routine, the minute she had placed both feet on the plush hotel room carpet, her stomach gave a violent lurch and in a flash she had to rush to the bathroom situated in between her and Kamuro's hotel rooms. She threw herself to the open toilet bowl and threw up last night's fried calamari and shrimp rolls.

What is happening to me? Amaya thought as she continued to empty her stomach. With one hand holding tight to the side of the toilet bowl, she placed her other hand over her stomach. It couldn't be nerves about the semi-finals. She was so confident that her team would beat Tatsuki's team.

Woken and alarmed slightly by the door slams Amaya had made as she had rushed to the bathroom, Kamuro warily walked towards the bathroom and stood inside the wide open door. "What's the matter?" he demanded. Although the tone he had used was primarily full of annoyance, Amaya caught an underlying tone of concern. She coughed a bit of spit and vomit into the toilet and took deep breaths. Her eyes watered and her nose was runny. This was definitely not a good way to start the day. "I-I don't know," she stuttered and then ducked her head down again into the porcelain bowl.

Kamuro rubbed the back of his neck and blew back his long hair away from his face. _Dear Kami_, he thought with grievance, but he slowly walked towards Amaya's bent over body and kneeled down behind her. Uncertainly, he pulled back her short hair out of the way and then faintly began to rub her back reassuringly. He had been down this road before with his late wife Hotaru but from different circumstances. He figured that Amaya was just nervous as hell about the fight their team was going to have in the afternoon.

Once Amaya was sure she wouldn't throw up anymore, Kamuro got to his feet and helped her up. He felt her trembling slightly and his protective side took over. "Did you eat anything you shouldn't have last night?" he inquired, just to make sure.

Amaya waved his hands away and started towards the double sinks next to the toilet. The wide vanity mirror stretched above the sinks and showed Amaya the ugly, pale reflection that was herself. Her raven black hair was lanky and looked greasy. She looked very much worse for wear and there were faint dark circles under her eyes, for she hadn't been sleeping well for the last few days since Hiei found out her true identity.

"You look like crap," Kamuro told her, hoping to get a normal "Amaya/Nightfire" reaction. When he didn't get so much as a glare from her, he started to feel like there was something very wrong. His hawk-like eyes looked over her carefully. She wore black very short, shorts and a small black tank top that didn't quite meet the top of the shorts, revealing a little of her belly. As Kamuro tried not to stare openly at her barely naked mid-riff, he noticed that her stomach seemed a bit fuller, bumpier even; not the smooth, flat surface that was the result of long hours of working out and training.

Then out of nowhere, the now familiar face of a certain short demon, but still slightly taller than Amaya, with crimson red eyes and tall black hair with a white bandana around his forehead came into mind. Slowly, things seemed to click in Kamuro's head. "Amaya," he said slowly.

Amaya's eyes slid over to him and in the mirror, her left eyebrow was quirked up inquiringly.

"When was the last time you bled with the moon cycles?" Kamuro asked very seriously.

Amaya fully turned towards him with a confused expression on her face. Why would he be asking her that? she wondered. "Why do you need to know?" she demanded, actually feeling a little insecure about him, a man, asking that.

Kamuro opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by Jin's thick, Irish-accented voice calling for them from their living room. Their team was going to have a final training session before the fight this afternoon.

Amaya and Kamuro stared at each other from across the bathroom for what seemed like a long time, thoughts running wild in each of their minds, until Amaya broke eye contact first and told Kamuro to leave her and get ready for training. "And whatever it is you were going to tell me, save it until after the semi's are finished," Amaya told him as Kamuro stepped inside the bathroom door.

The human turned around and faced her again, his facial features looking much troubled. "Fine, but make this promise," he bargained. If he was right, and experience was sure he was right, Amaya had to be extra careful of how she took care of her body for now on.

Amaya nodded, waiting impatiently. Humans and their dramatics, she thought.

"Promise me that you will not push yourself too hard during training, and that in the tournament, you will do everything possible to not get hit anywhere in you abdominal region," Kamuro told her.

Amaya thought about it for a moment. Then finding it was a plausible promise, she nodded her assent. "Now get out," she ordered, and with a flick of her hand, the bathroom door slammed shut in Kamuro's face.

Everyone in Team Sparta assembled in the locker rooms that afternoon. Training had gone without a hitch, and plans and strategies were perfected. All were anticipating this last match 

before they could fight Team Uremeshi, but it was Kamuro that was anticipating his fight with Tatsuki the most.

_This is my moment . . . This is__** my **__moment . . ._ He kept repeating in his head, and like a mantra, it seemed to calm him and clear his mind. He sat on the bench sitting in between the lockers with Jin on his left. Touya stood up with his back towards them, eyes closed, and taking the necessary precautions of clearing his mind also. For the moment what had happened that morning with Amaya in the hotel bathroom was forgotten and in the back of his thoughts.

Amaya was also standing up, arms crossed over her chest, and her body leaning back onto the locker. She too was forgetting about the slight in the morning, breathing deeply in and out through her nostrils and hoping that she wouldn't throw up again. She felt fine at the moment, so no real worries there. She was facing Kamuro, watching him closely, and reading his thoughts.

--You will do just fine,_ baka_-- she told him telepathically.

In his concentration on making himself calm, Kamuro had slipped up on the powerful mind barrier he usually had. He shot a glare at the hooded eyes that he could not see and replied through the psychic connection she had opened, --You do not know Tatsuki like I do. He is ruthless and resorts to any tricks he can pull. Unlike a _human _tournament, these demon tournaments have no boundaries on cheating--

Amaya tilted her head up slightly so the lights overhead showed Kamuro the cold smile she was giving him. --Don't start on your little prejudice now, Kamuro-san-- she warned him curtly. --Remember, you are still in the Demon World-- Amaya turned her head towards the open door where from outside, Koto the fox had just called them out to the arena. Amaya pushed off from the locker and got to her feet. "It's time boys," she said and made her way towards the doors with Touya, Jin, and lastly Kamuro trailing behind her wake.

The domed arena seemed more packed and chaotic than before, but Amaya knew as she stepped out from the tunnel and lead her team towards the fighting ring that this crowd would just be much worse during her team's final match with Yusuke's team. It was inevitable that they lose to Tatsuki's team. Even as her red with black specked eyes swept over her team's opponents, she knew immediately that this was going to be a shoe in. However, even Amaya knew never to take the opponent with such an off-hand, underestimating manner.

"Alright captains, shake hands! You both know that we ALL want a good, blood-bathing match from the both of your incredibly awesome teams!" Koto cried out energetically. Her whole body seemed to be shaking with excitement as pictures of gore and massacre flashed through her mind.

When she had done addressing the crowd about the tournament rules and procedures, she turned back to the captains who were both staring each other down-well, it seemed that Tatsuki the Switchblade was staring the other team captain down. "Sooo, what are they match agreements gonna be, captains!?" Koto shouted into her cordless mike.

Tatsuki broke supposed eye contact with Amaya and smirked at Koto. "First round," Tatsuki shouted into the mike Koto held out for him, "two-on-two fight between my feline team mates and-" He took the mike from the referee and turning to Amaya, he held out the mike and waited smugly for her to reply.

Amaya threw her hand out and stepped to the side so Tatsuki and Koto could see the two cloaked figures that were Jin and Touya underneath. "My two fighters," Amaya drawled in an almost bored way. Jin and Touya stepped forward, which provoked the two cat demons to hiss and also step up. Amaya and Kamuro walked off the ring towards their side, and Tatsuki and the female ninja, his other team member, did the same.

Koto warily stood off to the far side in between the opponents, looking now a bit nervously over at the cat demons. "Um, alright my ferocious, blood-loving audience! Let this bloody fight begin!" she cried and then hurried away for safety.

The two cat demons instantly drew out their sharp claws and licked their lips hungrily.

"Tatsuki's been keeping us hungry these last few weeks," one of the cats grumbled.

"Wanted us to wait until this fight," the other said and grinned, showing yellow-stained, razor sharp fangs dripping in saliva.

"Repulsive," Touya murmured under his breath. He hated cat demons.

"We'll get 'em, Touya, we'll get 'em," Jin replied. Excitement was building up in him and all he wanted to do now was soar in the air and get this match really started, but Touya was assessing their opponents, and Jin had to wait.

"I'd bet on ol' Grandma's sanity that those guys in cloaks are Jin and Touya," Yusuke said from up in the stands. He sat with the rest of his team including the girls, teenage Koenma, and his purple ogre Jorge in the stands oppositely facing Team Sparta. All around them, the crowd was going nuttier than before, all wanting something to happen. So far, none of the battling opponents in the ring have done so much as took a step towards the other two.

Kurama, who sat just after Kuwabara on Yusuke's right side, leaned over the other human and said mysteriously to Yusuke, "I have a feeling that we shall find that out today."

The cat demons were massive, at least two feet taller than Jin, but then they also looked as stupid as any B class demons could get. From the corner of his mouth, Touya whispered instructions to Jin as to what to do. Jin grinned widely under his hood, grateful to be finally doing something and nodded his head vigorously once he knew the plan.

Chico, the older of the two brothers, turned his head towards Picco, the second brother. "What you think they're talking about, brother?" he grumbled irritably.

"Who cares?" Picco snapped, feeling rather restless at the lack of action. His stomach gave a violent growl. Picco smirked at his brother and turned his head towards their cloaked opponents. "_Feeding time_," he hissed and started forward.

"Stick to the plan, Jin. Try not to blow our cover," Touya said and watched as Jin ran up to meet one of the cat demon brothers. The cat demon, whose fur was striped black and grey and was telling Jin to "call his killer Picco", rose up one of his massive hands and tried to-

Touya heard the purring noise along with the unwelcome short gusts of warm air on his neck. Without trying to be obvious, Touya formed his familiar Ice Sword around his right arm with the concealment of his long cloak sleeve as he heard the other cat demon hiss, "Oooh, pretty, pretty. Tasty, tasty. Give Chico a bite!"

"Sorry, but I'm not giving up any of me for your stomach," Touya said coldly and spun around, swinging up his sword. He held it up and caught Chico's open mouth by his inner jaw hinges. "Plus, I'd be giving you bad indigestion," Touya added smartly and pushed away the feline. Touya held up his free hand to his face and cried, "Shards of Winter!"

Chico's big yellow eyes widened in fury as he jumped and tried to dodge the sharp ice daggers the Ice Master blew at him. However, with his massive bulk, he was too slow, and the ones he hadn't managed to dodge fast enough ripped at his furry skin, embedding themselves deep into his body. Chico howled in pain.

Jin's long, pointy ears twitched at the sound as he dodged again another vicious swipe of Picco's razor sharp claws. "You and yer brother are notta kitty, Picco!" he taunted. "Yer a MUTT!" Jin laughed as he flipped over the grey and black cat and as he flipped again before landing on the ground, he kicked out and connected his feet successfully on Picco's back, sending the cat flying towards his brother and Touya.

Touya sensed the brother from behind and jumped high in the air, nearly avoiding being knocked to the ground.

"Not exactly as we planned, but well enough," Touya murmured.

"Hey, finished them off already!" Kamuro yelled from the sidelines.

Amaya's hood turned towards him. "Patience is a virtue," she remarked simply and then turned back to the fight.

Alerted by Kamuro's shouts at their opponents, Chico and Picco stopped growling at each other and turned to Touya and Jin. "Time to be more serious about this, brother," Chico grumbled.

Picco nodded. He smirked and before both Touya and Jin's eyes, he disappeared from sight, leaving them staring at his white and black furred brother.

Touya's pale blue eyes scanned the area around Chico. "Where could he have-?"

"Looking for me?" a deep-throated voice hissed right from behind Jin. Without another moment to spare, Picco opened his mouth wide and plunged his fangs into Jin's left shoulder.

"Jiiin!" Touya cried, but he was drowned out by Jin's cry of pain. "Jin-!"

"Raaah!" Chico had approached Touya while his attention was centered on Jin. He grab hold onto Touya's right arm that was still encased with his Ice Sword and threw him all the way to the other side of the ring, away from his brother and Touya's other partner.

Touya landed hard on the cold tile and rolled around until he actually fell out of the ring. Chico ran after him, jumped high, and made sure to land hard on Touya's gut, knocking the wind out of him. "S-Shards of Winter!" Touya gasped and blew up in Chico's face. Chico hissed and covered his bloody face with his paws as he stumbled off of Touya and tripped back into the ring.

Back on the other side of the ring, Jin spun his uninjured left arm in circles until it was a blur. "Tornado Fist!" he cried and knocked Picco straight in his furry face. A gut-wrenching cry exploded from Jin's mouth as Picco, whose jaw had still been clamped deep into his shoulder, nearly tore a chunk of Jin with him as he skidded across the ring, closer to Koto and farther from the part of the ring Chico and Touya fought. Jin stopped spinning his left and pressed his hand heavily onto his large, bleeding shoulder wound. He was bleeding heavily and pain shot through his body from his shoulder. Feeling faintly lightheaded, Jin examined his wound. His cloak was in shreds from when Picco had also dug his claws into his back. Then with a gust of wind, what was left of Jin's cloak slipped off his body and fell to his feet.

The crowd audibly gasped.

Koto's eyes widened with surprise and then she turned to the audience with a huge smile on her face. "And we have our first ever revealing look at one of Team Sparta's members who happens to be Jin the Wind Master!" she shouted excitedly and waved her arm in Jin's direction. The look of surprise and shock on Jin's face looked particularly comical on him.

"HAH! It is Jin!" Yusuke yelled out loud and then turned to Koenma. He pointed at Jin, standing stock still in the center of the ring. "Look at that, baby breath! I bet you anything that the other guy is Touya!" he added.

A troubled look crossed Koenma's teenage face. "Yes, but who are the other two members of Team Sparta?" he wondered out loud and looked over to the non-fighting members of the said team.

"_Shimotta_," Amaya cursed. She was visibly shaking with anger. "Jin wasn't supposed to reveal himself until the finals!" she hissed. Amaya felt a heavy hand on her shoulder and looked up at Kamuro's hooded face. "Let go of me!" she ordered.

Kamuro let his hand slide off of her shoulder and replied, "It was a mistake, Amaya. Look at the expression on Jin's face. It was an accident."

Amaya huffed, crossed her arms over her chest, and returned her attention onto the match at hand.

Picco grinned as he staggered back to his feet. "Look-y what this cat has dragged in," he said viciously.

Jin slowly turned around to face him, the surprise and shock long gone, replaced with a blank poker face. "Sorry, but I dun't like the thought o' bein' catnip," Jin replied and a smile broke across his face.


	47. Chapter 47

"Don't want to be my play toy, don't you?" Picco snarled and grinned sinisterly. He started towards Jin, yelling as he did so, "Then you'll just be another scratching post!"

The smile dropped off of Jin's face like a duck after it had been shot.

Touya steadily got back on his feet and looked down contemptuously at Chico, still laying on the side of the ring and writhing in agony. Blood seeped from onto the tiles on either side of his face. "_Baka neko_," Touya spat and jumped back into the ring. He grunted in pain as he landed on his feet. A few yards away, Jin and the other cat demon Picco were engaged in their own battle. Jin's cloak was gone, in front of Touya's feet, and so was his hidden identity.

Yusuke Uremeshi and his team must know my identity too, Touya thought. Then a pained expression crossed his face as Amaya's own face swam into his thoughts. She's definitely not going to be happy.

--No I'm not _baka_-- came a menacing female voice from the back of his mind. --The cat is behind you!--

Touya didn't think twice as he spun around and threw up his ice-encased arm to shield himself from what would have been a crushing blow to his head. Chico, in his bloody-faced glory, was standing in front of Touya with a wild, angered expression on his furry face. It was Chico's massive arm that Touya had stopped from killing him.

"I'll KILL you!" Chico screeched. Pushing his arm up, as well as Touya's, he gave himself enough room to bash in his head against Touya's. The Ice Master's knees buckled from underneath and he inwardly felt a crack upon his head. It took his sheer will power to not black out completely as he knelt there at Chico's mercy. Chico took a step away from the greatly weakened Touya, threw his furry head back and laughed, the horrible noise drowning with the cheers of the crowd. "I will turn your body into my new litter box!" Chico yelled and started towards Touya's hunched figure.

"Raaah!" Chico roared and made to grab Touya's neck, but he never even touched the smooth, cold flesh as he stopped dead in his tracks. Chico slowly looked down and saw that he had been pierced through his large stomach with a sword made of ice, Touya's weapon. "Huh?" Chico gasped.

Touya's glassy, ice blue eyes glared coldly up at Chico. "Never let your guard down," he said and removed his sword in one swift motion. Chico gasped and then fell dead to the ground.

"Aaaand the winner of that fight is Touya, the Ice Master!" Koto yelled amidst the "boos" and cheers of the audience.

Touya wobbled onto his feet. How did they . . . ?

--Your hood is down, _baka yaro_--

Touya winced inwardly at Amaya's angry tone. Then, there was a violent gust of wind from behind him and he spun around, nearly falling back onto Chico's corpse in his haste. "Jin!" he cried a moment later.

Jin ducked low as Picco came at him, fists swinging and lips pulled back in a nasty snarl. He felt the cat demon breeze past him, but then felt a crushing blow to his back and fell into his face, skidding forward a few inches across the tile.

Picco grinned and patted his elbow as he turned to the Wind Master. He licked his blood-stained lips and then spat on Jin's back. "You're not worthy of feeding, scum," he growled. Picco walked over to Jin and kicked him onto his back.

Jin groaned and closed his eyes shut. He had had the wind literally knocked out of him with that last blow. Jin felt himself being grabbed from under his armpits and lifted high into the air so that his feet dangles inches from the ground. Jin chanced a look down and saw the unpleasant sight of Picco's face looking maliciously up at him. _For the love of . . ._ If he could, Jin would have recoiled back from the bad breath being blown into his face. "Tic Tac, mate," he groaned.

"Jin!" Touya was yelling at him on the other side of the ring. Behind him was the dead body of Chico.

Picco, not knowing that his brother was dead, grinned. "You shouldn't be worrying about that, Wind Master," he told Jin.

Then, the wind began to pick up. "Yer right, Picco-nose!" Jin suddenly yelled. He grabbed onto both Picco's shoulders and rammed his head into his.

Picco felt white-hot, searing pain in his forehead and dropped Jin, raising his hands onto his injury. Jin flew up in the air and stopped, taking a breather. He didn't have a hard head like Yusuke Uremeshi's, but he did have a horn that did work to his advantage. Down below, Picco was feeling the hole in his forehead with horror and excruciating pain. Jin grinned as he flew back down to the ring.

* * *

"Good ol' Jin," Yusuke said and chuckled.

Koenma sent him a skeptical look. "Aren't you supposed to be mad at him for lying to you?" he asked.

Yusuke glared at his teenage-form boss. "Shuddup, binky-breath!"

* * *

The wind, once calm and peaceful, was blowing hard all around the stadium, although it wasn't an open arena. The source was coming from Jin. Raising his hands high in the air above his head, he began to spin them around. Faster and faster his arms spun until a small hurricane formed.  
"Wind Cyclone!" Jin cried and hurled the mass of spinning air at Picco. The cat demon cried out in surprise as he was caught in the middle of Jin's attack.

Touya ran up next to Jin and bent down, placing his hands on the tiles. He began to glow all over his body, and then concentrating, Touya froze the whole stadium. "Stop the attack!" he ordered.

Jin waved his hands and then the whirlwind disappeared, leaving Picco looking worse for wear lying flat on the icy ground. Touya stood back up and threw his hands out in front of him, towards Picco. The ice around Picco began to move towards the cat demon and then encase him entirely, killing him instantly.

There was a small silence upon the whole stadium before Koto shouted into her mike, "And we have our winners of this round! Touya and Jin!" Koto looked towards both captains of Teams Sparta and Tatsuki.

"Who will fight next?"


	48. Chapter 48

"_Who will be next?_" Koto shouted into her cordless microphone and waved her free hand wildly in enthusiasm equaling the audience's.

"I think it's gonna be that one tall dude of Team Sparta and that one ninja in the other team," Kuwabara guessed from the stands. He sat on Yusuke's right side whereas Kurama sat on Yusuke's left.

Kuwabara was half correct. The female ninja, who still hadn't been introduced to the audience after all this time, walked away from her place beside Tatsuki the Switchblade and jumped onto the ring on Koto's right side. The ninja singled out the short team captain of Team Sparta by unsheathing the wide bladed sword she had strapped to her belt and pointed it straight at the short cloaked figure.

Show off, Amaya thought grimly as she eyed the sword but accepted the challenge. Doing a little showing off herself, Amaya jumped high in the air, front flipped two times and then landed on Koto's left side cleanly on one foot. But before she could put the second foot down, Amaya had her katana unsheathed and was parrying the thrusts her opponent was sending her with her own weapon.

Koto quickly stepped back and felt a drop of sweat fall down the side of her face. Holy Yama, she thought nervously. The intensity that these two were fighting at was scary. It was like they were the worst of enemies. Then she remembered she had a crowd full of demons to attend and inform. Not daring to turn her back on the fighters, Koto put the mike close to her mouth and shouted, "And not even waiting for my signal, the female ninja of Team Tatsuki had started trying to slice her way towards victory!" The audience roared in approval, shouting obscenities as well as praise.

Even as the commotion and noise were going around them, Amaya and her opponent were in their own world as they battled with their blades and wit.

Amaya ducked a swipe for her head and quickly jerked her head back to keep the ninja from grabbing onto her hood. "Why are you so intent to see my true identity?" she inquired emotionlessly as she began her own offensive.

The female ninja smirked, her grey, sight-less looking eyes gleaming with vicious mirth. "Because I want to see what the infamous assassin Nightfire has to hide from under her hood." The ninja's voice was smooth like silk, but harbored a rough edge of hate like a jagged piece of glass.

Amaya was not distracted that this person had figured who she was. She swung her blade down, but the ninja back flipped out of the way. However, that was not before managing to cut a shallow wound upon Amaya's unguarded abdomen. The ninja stood up straight and watched with slight curiosity as Amaya placed a pale hand on her wound and then removed it to reveal a thin line of blood on her open palm.

"I am called Eyeknife," her opponent said, with a prideful tone. "And with your death, I shall become the most feared killer in the Makai."

Amaya turned her head to Eyeknife. From under her hood, her red and black-flecked eyes surveyed her emotionlessly, coldly. "Don't get too carried away, fool," Amaya hissed. "I am not dead, and don't plan to be." _Eyeknife_. I swear I have heard that name before, she thought. I just can't place it . . .

"Can't remember me, Nightfire?"

Amaya focused her full attention at this irksome being. "I don't think I should have remembered a weakling like you," she spat.

Eyeknife's face contorted in anger. "No, I don't believe you'd remember me," she murmured. Her only free hand went to the long, deep red scarf that hung around her neck, and she pulled it off of her and tossed at Amaya's feet. At that same time, her demonic spirit energy was rising higher and higher. Eyeknife pointed at her neck. At the base of her neck was a faint horizontal line that was at least three inches; a scar obviously. "Do you remember this little parting gift you left me?" Eyeknife shouted angrily.

Amaya did remember now. That "little parting gift" was her warning to Eyeknife, a warning she as Nightfire had given to this little assassin wannabe two years before. Eyeknife had come to Amaya as a demon wanting to be apprenticed to Amaya, but since Amaya had just started being secured in her assassin job in the Makai, she was taking no apprentices. However, Eyeknife had persisted, and Amaya had to end up killing a few of the team mates Eyeknife had once worked with, leaving the girl alone and dearly afraid for her life.

Well, Eyeknife wasn't afraid now. She was more ruthless, it seemed, and much stronger.

This will be more interesting that I thought, Amaya decided. She gripped the hilt of her katana with both hands and got into a fighting position. "Come to your death," she whispered so only Eyeknife could hear.

Eyeknife was up to her fullest potential and was thirsting to spill Nightfire's blood. "_Die!_" she cried and launched herself at Nightfire, sword raised high above her head. Amaya thrust her katana horizontally and repaid Eyeknife from when she had sliced Amaya's abdomen. Blood spurted onto Amaya's cloak front from the open, deep cut, but that did not stop Eyeknife. So with her opponent open, Eyeknife pointed the tip of her blade down and brought it down on Amaya's left shoulder.

The demonic crowd cried out in satisfaction as Amaya let out a terrible cry of pain mixed with rage as Eyeknife ripped the blade out of her shoulder and took a few steps back, breathing hard and clutching her bleeding stomach. Pools of blood began to form around the both of them. Amaya sunk down to one knee and pressed her right hand on her wounded arm. It was almost useless to her. Her fingers on that arm could barely close around her katana hilt. The pain was like fire, slowly consuming her. Irksome bitch, Amaya thought and glared up at Eyeknife. She 

was gloating. Amaya could see it in the forced smirk she wore and saw it with the pain in her grey eyes that seemed to see but then didn't see at all.

* * *

_Amaya_, Hiei thought worriedly as he watched the battle below. The opponents had stopped momentarily, but that did not stop the demons all around him from trying to get them to fight again. Although he was still mad at her as the day he found out her alias and identity, he still had the right to care for her; if only that it would not ruin his reputation largely anyway.

A stocky demon suddenly yelled from directly behind Hiei, "Yeah, come on! More blood! Kill the whelp, Eyeknife!"

Hiei's face remained emotionless, but he was burning with rage which grew more and more as this demon behind him shouted outrageous insults to Amaya.

_Damn it_ onna. _See what you're doing to me?_

* * *

Amaya sheathed her katana and got to her feet, never breaking eye contact with her opponent. So she really wants to go that far? Amaya thought angrily. _Fine_. Suddenly, Amaya was in front of Eyeknife in a blink of an eye, rearing back her right fist, and then throwing it home. She watched dispassionately as the force of her blow across Eyeknife's face threw the ninja back and sent her tumbling across the chipped and broken tiles.

Eyeknife came to a halt just at the edge of the ring. Quickly, she drew out from her belt a throwing knife and threw it her hardest as Amaya approached.

To the average person, they would not have seen such a fast-moving, deadly object, and even Amaya could not see it coming. However, she heard the high whistling noise the blade made as it cut through the air. Amaya pivoted to the side and just as she heard the whistling noise come closer, she snatched the kunai from what seemed out of thin air by the tips of her index and middle fingers.

Eyeknife gasped, frozen in the motion of trying to bring herself back to her feet. She stared, wide-eyed in disbelief. "How . . . ? I am the fastest kunai thrower in the Demon World!" she breathed. "You couldn't have seen that coming!"

Amaya turned to face Eyeknife. She tilted her head up slightly so her opponent could see the smirk on her face under her hood. "Exactly," she said. Amaya threw the throwing knife up and down with the hand she caught it with, which had been her left hand.

Eyeknife got to her feet. "Then-?"

"What the eyes cannot see, the ears can," Amaya snarled. She caught the kunai mid-air and threw it.

Eyeknife took a step back and screamed. In her left shoulder was her own kunai.

"An eye for an eye," Amaya shouted. Her spirit energy began to skyrocket to a dizzying height at the same time as she began to glow black from her shadow inheritance. Her spirit energy, in the form of smoke, created great gusts of wind that blew in every direction and a few times literally was blowing some of the audience away.

From under her hood, her eyes completely began to also glow black. "Hell's Night," she whispered. With an earth shattering bang, shadows all over the stadium leaped out and flew towards the ring, creating a huge black-domed barrier.

Koto shrieked and ran for it, but when she tried to run through the barrier, it pushed her back into the ring. "Ladies and gentlemen," she cried into her mike as she landed hard on her rump, "our cloaked fighter has created this extremely powerful barrier that won't let anything out, and I suspect anything in too!" Oh, I don't want to die here! Koto thought desperately. The dome inside the arena dome was pitch black, and Koto thought that her fox ears could pick up soft cries of pain from all around her. Why couldn't it have been Juri who emcees this time?!

Everyone outside the black barrier was silent as the grave. No one knew what was happening in there, but they all guessed something gruesome by the way the loud speakers that were connected to Koto's cordless microphone picked up strange and often frightening noises.

From right next to Yusuke, Kuwabara was shivering uncontrollably, much to his friend's concern.

"Yo, Kuwabara, you gonna be okay?" Yusuke asked and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"N-N-No, I-I won't be o-okay, Ure-Uremeshi! This barrier i-is filled with so much e-evil!" Kuwabara stuttered.

"Kazuma, are you alright?" asked a soft, worried voice from behind them.

The humans turned around and came face to face with the ice apparition Yukina. Instantly, Kuwabara stopped shivering so horribly and even put on a brave face. "Nothing to fear, my darling Yukina! I'm just fine!" he shouted enthusiastically. If the restless demons hadn't been filling the once silent stadium with their dark mutterings, Kuwabara would have made his friends pretty embarrassed by now.

Yukina smiled warmly and placed a gentle hand on the same shoulder on Kuwabara that Yusuke had put his hand a few moments before. "Oh Kazuma," she laughed softly.

"Not to burst your love bubble or anything, but we have our own _dark_ bubble in our hands," Yusuke said, this time in a more serious tone.

"Look! Something's happening!" a demon cried from right next to Yukina. He wasn't the only one who had seen a streak of bright light from their side of the dome. Then the light was gone.

Kurama turned to Hiei and met his emotionless crimson red eyes. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked quietly.

"Hn. I'm already ahead of you, Kurama." _Miles ahead of you._

From inside the dark dome, Amaya was fully enjoying the vast benefits of inheriting her shadow powers. She had the upper hand without a doubt. She was literally one with the dark. Her powers let her see through this blanket of darkness like it was not there. She could see everything in the ring: she could see Koto near the edge of the ring to her far right, worrying what were those ghastly soft noises coming from, and Amaya could see Eyeknife from just five yards to her left. In the protection of this barrier, Amaya let her hood down and smirked.

_Time to have some fun._

* * *

She's stalling. I know she is, Kamuro thought furiously. Before the barrier had appeared, throughout Touya and Jin's match and some of Amaya's, he and Tatsuki had been shooting glances at each other from opposite sides of the fighting ring. However, with the barrier blocking one from seeing the other, Kamuro was more nervous that when he had stepped out from the tunnel. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back onto the wall. Kamuro didn't want to be attacked from behind. He was expecting anything of Tatsuki, what with all the attention now centered on the black dome in front of him.

His hawk-like eyes flicked over to the medical tent off to the side. Jin and Touya had been escorted there as soon as their fight had ended and neither of them had emerged from the white tent yet. Kamuro wasn't worried about them. Not at all.

* * *

Back inside the dome, fear was building up inside Eyeknife as she spun around and around on the spot she stood, trying to find some sort of light in this hellish place. There were sounds, sounds of pain, but they were like eerie whispers coming from an imaginary wind.

"Where are you?!" Eyeknife screamed into the vast darkness. "Show yourself instead of hiding by some cheap tricks, you coward! It's a wonder how you got so _feared_ in the Makai!" she added hysterically. Eyeknife sensed movement from behind her, and in a flash she had her sword unsheathed again and swung it, but only caught air.

Then, she heard a cold, malicious voice whisper into her right ear, "Tsk, tsk. Are you afraid of you own _shadow_?"

Amaya brought up her arm and caught the flat side of Eyeknife's sword blade and smirked. Bringing up her other arm, she punched the ninja in the jaw and relished the sight of Eyeknife stumbling away, clutching her bloody mouth with one hand while the other held on firmly to her weapon. "If you want light so _bad_," Amaya added as she held out her hands on either side of her, "then I'll be willing to help with that."

And she did. Her hands began to glow with light, piercing the darkness like an arrow and nearly blinding Eyeknife if she hadn't shielded her eyes with putting up the hand that also held her sword. Her eyes looked at the reflection on the blade and widened. The light that emitted from Nightfire's hands was coming from her hands; that held orbs of fire.

_Kuso!_ Eyeknife thought and barely managed to dodge the fire orbs being thrown at her. Oh she was thankful that she could see again, but she wasn't counting on seeing Nightfire's face, that was no longer being hidden by her hood. It was a face of beauty, one that could seduce any man to her will, but the blood lust and the inner fire coming from her eyes put an evil twist to the face.

"Meet the messenger of Death," Amaya spat and gave her a mocking bow.

Seizing the moment, Eyeknife shot off straight towards Nightfire. It a surreal, slow motion situation, as Nightfire came back up from her bow, Eyeknife was right in front of her. She balled her free hand into a tight fist and slammed it hard into Nightfire's gut.

Amaya felt as if the breath was sucked out forcefully from her lungs as she skidded back on her feet and clutched her stomach.

"Eek!" Koto yelled as she nearly was missed getting hit by one of the fighters. She ran away screaming into her mike.

Amaya coughed hard and felt blood drip from her mouth and dribble on her chin. She felt like she had stood in front of a cannon as it just fired. Her legs gave way and she sunk slowly to her knees. Masked by the cover of her violent coughing, soft footsteps sleeked their way towards where she was, and then next thing Amaya knew, Eyeknife's hand grabbed a fist full of her short hair, forced her head back, and she placed her sword at the base of her neck. Amaya met Eyeknife's gloating, grey eyes.

Eyeknife pressed the blade harder onto Nightfire's slender neck and saw with satisfaction as a trickle of blood slid down her neck. The scar on Eyeknife's own neck, the one Nightfire had given her on that horror-filled night, felt like it was burning. _An eye for an eye. _

"Any last words?" Eyeknife taunted.

Blood pooled inside of Amaya's closed mouth, threatening to choke her with its thickness and strong metallic taste. She sucked every drop of it and spat it all onto Eyeknife's face. She cried out and the hold she had on Amaya's hair was gone as her hand went instinctively to her face. The blade had also been removed from her neck. No longer in danger of being decapitated, Amaya jumped up in the air and swung her leg, connecting instantly with the side of Eyeknife's head. Eyeknife's sword clattered unnoticed to the ground as its owner flew off to the side.

"Shadow Bonds!" Amaya shouted as she landed unsteadily on her feet. Her legs were still slightly weak, but that did not stop the tentacle-like ropes shooting out from different areas of the barrier, effectively trapping the ninja. The tentacles held on tight to her wrists, ankles, and neck, and held Eyeknife a few inches off the ground. Try as she might, she could not get the frightening things to even loosen their hold on her.

Amaya conjured a fire orb in her left hand and held it up close to her face, so the cold smile on her face shown plainly for Eyeknife to see as she walked up to her. The flames crackled and twisted, making Amaya's face seem more evil, more demented. There seemed to be no trace of compassion in that mask and Eyeknife screamed out in horror, though Amaya did nothing. Yet.

"You feel your own death coming," Amaya whispered as she stopped in front of her prisoner.

"Kill me! Kill me quickly!" Eyeknife begged hysterically. Her sightless, grey eyes were wild with terror. The tentacles were cutting into her very skin, and she felt her blood drip and slide down her limbs.

Amaya crushed the fire orb with her hand, extinguishing it and plunging them into darkness once more. Lifting her hands delicately, she placed them almost lovingly on either side of Eyeknife's head. She closed her glowing black eyes and said, "Nightmare Syndrome!"

Eyeknife's eyes rolled back so the whites showed and a thousand gruesome images passed throughout her mind, each one more torturous than the last. Her head began to shake violently in Amaya's hands. Her mouth was wide open in her silent screams. Then, like a savage animal trying to escape, her first of many screams ripped out from her mouth and filled Amaya's ears like, to Amaya, a beautiful symphony.

Outside the barrier with the audience, the chatter that had been coming from them for some time now was instantly drowned out by terrible screams coming from the loud speakers. The screams were so loud, that it threatened to make everyone deaf.

"What the hell is that?" Kuwabara tried to make his voice heard over the terrible noise. Everyone had their hands pressed hard to their ears to try to stifle the sound, and so they did not hear him.  
"What the hell is that, Koenma?!" Yusuke shouted in a much louder voice than when Kuwabara had posed the question. Unlike Kuwabara, Yusuke had better luck.

"It's the sound of a person dying in a slow, torturous way!" Koenma screamed over the screams. Though everyone else had their ears covered, he didn't. He had heard things like this many times before, but that still did not render him so aloof that he did not feel the shivers going up and down his spine like mad. He was sure that whoever was doing this, it was most likely _not_ the cloaked team captain of Team Sparta doing the screaming.

"LOOK! The barrier is gone!" Keiko screamed from directly behind Kurama. Not only was the barrier gone, as many of the audience now observed, but the screams were gone also as quickly as it had started.

"Whoa," Yusuke and Kuwabara exclaimed as they peered down at the ring.

Slightly off from the center of the ring was the short, hooded captain of Team Sparta. In front of her, and this is where Kuwabara quickly looked away, was the gruesome, bloodied, and mangled body which had been Eyeknife's. All over the front of the hooded figure's cloak was deep red blood, but everyone had no doubt it wasn't hers.

"Th-That's sick, man!" Kuwabara stuttered and covered his mouth to keep from barfing.

Koto, who was not that far away from where Amaya stood, had her mouth wide open in shock. She slowly brought the microphone close to her mouth. "We have a winner," she said, but without the usual enthusiasm in her voice. It was filled with a strange kind of awe. It echoed throughout the silent domed arena.

"We . . . have a . . winner," Koto repeated, this time a little faintly.


	49. Chapter 49

Amaya turned away from the bloody corpse that was once Eyeknife, and then walked off the ring towards her team. It was as silent as the grave in the domed arena that even to Amaya the soft taps of her footsteps echoed loudly into the part terrified, part amazed atmosphere.

"Who is that, that _monster_?" Kuwabara gasped, shaking slightly from fear. He prayed that it wasn't he that fights the deadly team captain of Team Sparta.

Annoyed by that comment (since it _still_ was Amaya Kuwabara was talking about, even if he didn't know it), Hiei snapped, "We've all seen far worse than that, baka."

Before Kuwabara could retort anything back, Koenma interrupted, "But he has never seen the work of a master of the shadow element."

Yusuke turned to his teenage boss with a confused look on his face. "Master of the shadow element?" he repeated skeptically. "What the hell is that?"

"It's what we have just witnessed, Yusuke," Kurama spoke up. "In this case, the proper title should be _mistress_ of the shadow element," he added with a contemplative look across his handsome features.

Kuwabara reached over Yusuke and tapped Kurama on the shoulder. "Hey Kurama, whatcha thinking?" he asked.

Kurama shook his head slowly. "I have a theory about who the captain of Team Sparta might be, but I'm not ready to tell you anything yet until I have more proof," he replied mysteriously.

* * *

Jin and Touya, who had come back half healed from the medical tent, watched Amaya with approach them and Kamuro like every other demon that watched her: eyes wide with wonder.

"You shouldn't be surprised. You're both demons," Amaya replied curtly as she stopped in front of them. She knew all eyes were on her; eyes filled with reverence and terror, but she didn't care of anything but the pain that coursed through her like fast-acting poison.

"That was a horrendous display of power," Jin replied breathlessly. It seemed as if he were still recovering from that show. Even if he didn't see anything that had happened, the power that had surged through the arena during Amaya's fight was enough to earn her new respect.

Amaya grunted, not that impressed actually. She started to look up at Kamuro but suddenly gasped and clutched her stomach.

"You've been hit there!" Kamuro said accusingly as he started to reach for her.

Amaya snapped her head up. Under her hood, her pain-glazed, dark brown eyes glared up at him. "Don't touch me!" she cried low. "I don't need your help!"

Kamuro scoffed. "_Baka onna_, swallow your pride and let me help you! You're hurt!" he snapped angrily. Inwardly, he was slightly worried for her condition and that of the one she now carried. Despite her protests, Kamuro steered Amaya towards the bench and made her sit down.

Amaya gritted her teeth from both pain and anger. Refusing to look at him, she looked towards the ring instead. "Tatsuki's calling you out," she told him emotionlessly.

In a Herculean effort, Kamuro took a deep breath as he slowly straightened up and turned around. In the center of the ring, Tatsuki stood on Koto's right side, staring straight at Kamuro with a smirk playing on his thin lips and his eyes alight with bloodlust.

Koto was speaking to the audience. In the space of time since she announced Amaya's victory, Koto's shock and fear had worn off once Tatsuki stepped into the ring and ordered her to announce him. The fox emcee was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet with excitement at this last match. Speaking into her mike, she addressed the audience, "Aaaaalright, frightful fiends and dreadful demons! Here is our LAST match of the day before the final battle between Teams Uremeshi"-loud boos from the crowd-"AND Team Sparta!" At the mention of the rapidly-becoming popular team, the crowd of demons went wild and began jeering at Team Uremeshi in the stands. Koto smiled widely so that her white, pointy canines showed. She turned to her left where Tatsuki the Switchblade stood.

As she began to introduce him to her attentive audience, Amaya reached over and tugged the black cloak Kamuro still wore to get his attention.

"What is it?" Kamuro snapped as he was forced to tear his hawk-like eyes away from Tatsuki's fiery red eyes and look at his calm team captain. "You should be at the medical tent," he added with a small dose of concern.

Amaya rolled her eyes. "Like I would miss your match to patch myself up," she muttered stubbornly under her breath. "I'm fine," she said out loud, although she was lying. Her head was throbbing and her limbs felt like they were on fire. That's not even counting the searing pain she felt in her abdominal area, which she still clung to with her other hand.

Kamuro shook his head at her. It was useless to argue because already, he was wasting precious time between now and having his final battle with Tatsuki. "Fine, whatever," Kamuro muttered and turned around again. He started forward, but a delicate hand caught him by his right wrist and forced him to turn back around to look at Amaya, the owner of the hand. "What do you want now?" Kamuro growled. He felt like nerves were on a razor edge of a blade and he just wanted to get his death over with.

Amaya tilted her head up so slightly so that only he could see the shrewd look she gave him then. "You are not going to die, _baka ningen_," she snapped.

Kamuro saw her wince in pain. Letting it slide that she had not only had been looking into his thoughts but also had called him a "stupid human", he said curtly, "You should rest now."

"Yes, I agree," Touya spoke up for the first time. He took a seat next to Amaya on the bench and Jin sat on her other side. "We dun't want ye tah o'ertax yerself, lassie," Jin added.

Amaya ignored him and Jin, instead focused her full attention on Kamuro. "Let your rage fuel you, but don't let it cloud your judgment," she warned him. She let go of his wrist and watched him walk towards the ring.

--You're not going to die-- she told him again, telepathically.

--Out of my head, _onna_-- Kamuro retorted.

Amaya smiled sadly from under her hood. --Good luck, _baka_--

--_Domo arigato_-- As Kamuro stepped into the ring, he felt her finally leave his mind as quietly as she had entered, like a whisper of a shadow. As he stopped in front of his enemy, he took a deep breath and instantly an eerie calm fell over him. This was his moment for redemption and revenge. He would not mess this up.

"Still wearing that pitiful disguise, Nightwing?" Tatsuki drawled.

Koto gasped as she instantly recognized the name of the most feared demon hunter in the Demon World. "Nightwing?!" she screamed. Her mike carried the terror in her voice through the large speakers which settled upon their listeners like a sudden chill to their bones. Her outburst was the catalyst that sent every demon in the stadium in an uproar.

"A HUMAN??" many shouted in outrage while others called for the immediate and painful death of the famed demon hunter.

The cat was out of the bag now. Kamuro threw off the cloak he wore and glared openly at Tatsuki, who looked very smug at that particular moment. "Never could keep your mouth shut," he growled distastefully.

Tatsuki grinned wickedly. "I always did think that the best prize was a_ sur_-prise!" Just as the last word came out of his mouth, Tatsuki suddenly disappeared from under Kamuro's eyes.

Kamuro sensed Tatsuki's demonic energy coming from behind and quickly spun around. He crossed his arms over his chest and felt one of Tatsuki's feet instantly connect at the point of intersection on his arms. The pressure made Kamuro skid back a few feet, and while still airborne, Tatsuki began a series of kicks to weaken Kamuro's defense.

"Eek!" Koto squeaked as she jumped back to avoid collision with the fighters.

* * *

In the stands, Team Uremeshi watched the intensity of the fight unraveling before their eyes, the only ones besides their companions the girls and Jorge the Ogre not jeering like the demons around them.

Kuwabara leaned forward slightly and turned his head towards Koenma. "Hey, what's the big deal about that Nightwing guy?" he shouted over the rising noise. The question attracted Yusuke's attention from the fight and he also turned his head towards his boss.

Koenma kept his eyes intently glued upon the fighters as he answered the question, "He is a human with an exceptionally high level of spirit energy like you and Yusuke, Kuwabara."

"Yeah, but by the looks of this crowd, he seems pretty more popular than both of us combined," Yusuke commented. He felt something whiz past his head and turned around to shout, "_Hey_! Do that again, and I'm coming up there for you!"

Kurama put a hand on Yusuke's arm. "Don't bother with these lowlifes, Yusuke," Kurama said complacently.

Yusuke grumbled but turned back to face the fighting arena. The fighting was becoming so much more intense that each time the fighters' fists collided with the other, jolts of electricity jumped from the friction. It was all physical, meaning no weapons had been drawn. Yet.

Yusuke turned to Kurama. "Do you know anything about Nightwing?" he asked curiously.

Kurama tilted his head down slightly so that a shadow crossed over his emerald green eyes. "Yes, and I even happened to have the _pleasure_ of meeting him once before," Kurama added with a definite trace of anger in his tone.

"Kurama?"

Hiei interrupted. "He actually means that Nightwing came to pay a little _visit_ to him before," he replied curtly.

Kurama looked back up, and Yusuke saw that his friend's eyes were blazing what he assumed was from an unpleasant memory as Kurama stared at Nightwing.

"Nightwing makes it his mission in life to exterminate all demons," Kurama began slowly as his dark, emerald eyes followed the said human's movements. "Any demons that happen to stumble into the Human World are quickly killed by this infamous demon hunter."

"Then how come we've never met?" Yusuke asked. "I mean, we practically do the same jobs!"

Hiei made a rude noise that sounded more like he was scoffing in disgust. "Perhaps, but you've never intentionally tried to get into the Makai to wreak mass murder on its occupants, Detective."

"Not even those residing in the Human World with permits are safe," Koenma added seriously.

At the mention of this fact, Kurama swallowed hard the lump that had formed in his throat.

Yusuke then realized something. He looked at Kurama with wide eyes. "He went after you!"

Yusuke shouted. He decided then and there that he hated this demon hunter.

Kurama nodded slowly. He still hadn't looked away from Nightwing. "And he also went after my human mother," Kurama added softly. He then cleared his throat. "It also seems that he has a rather personal vendetta against Tatsuki the Switchblade," he added in a matter of fact tone.

Yusuke turned towards the fighters and cringed slightly as Nightwing dealt Tatsuki a rather painful-looking blow across the demon's tan face, sending him flying across the ring. "So who is this guy?" he asked and motioned towards Tatsuki.

Kurama's eyes slid towards Hiei under his eyelashes. "I don't know that much about Tatsuki the Switchblade, but Hiei seems to know him rather well," Kurama said on the sly.

Hiei's face was perfectly emotionless as marble as he stared down at Tatsuki. "Hn," he grunted. "I've met him before and even was forced to join in a double robbery with him," Hiei replied. His crimson red eyes turned into a glare. "Not much is known about him. He just appeared in the Makai nearly fifteen years ago and has a reputation as a mass murderer."

"But he hadn't earned that reputation until twelve years ago," Koenma added. "I have a whole drawer of information about him. Tatsuki was once in the control of one Dr. Ichigaki, the same demon scientist whose team you've beaten in the Dark Tournament."

Yusuke stared at Koenma with shock. "You mean that demon was once an experiment gone haywire!" he shouted.

Koenma nodded. "Right on the bull's eye, Yusuke," he remarked.

Hiei grunted again. "Yet it's rather ironic how both the demon hunter and the demon would have so much in common," Hiei added sarcastically. "They are both blood thirsty: one out for revenge and another just a plain lunatic."

"So why's Nightwing have a grudge against Tatsuki?"

"No one knows why, Yusuke," Kurama replied.

"Why's he called 'the Switchblade'?" Kuwabara asked as he stared transfixed at the pair below. He winced when Kamuro suddenly let out a painful yell as Tatsuki grabbed his fist and twisted it far behind the human's back.

Hiei glowered at Tatsuki. "Hn, wait and you'll most likely find out why, _baka_," he muttered.

* * *

"Yes, scream! Scream just as your pathetic human wife did!" Tatsuki cackled as he pushed the human's fist higher and higher up his back, increasing the pressure.

Kamuro bit down his tongue so hard to keep from crying out that he soon tasted the metallic flavor of his own blood. He was in so much stress that he didn't even have the breath to tell the monster to shut up about mentioning Hotaru. Kamuro's twisted joints were on fire and he felt like his arm would soon be ripped out from its socket if he didn't do anything soon. While Tatsuki's attention was centered on hearing more of Kamuro's screams of pain, with his other hand, Kamuro groped towards his belt until he felt his fingers close around the handle of his katana. With almost the speed of light, Kamuro unsheathed his katana and shoved the blade up at Tatsuki from under his arm.

Tatsuki cried out as white hot pain flashed from where the blade now pierced his left side. His guard down, Tatsuki made the mistake of slackening his grip on Kamuro and felt the human slip away from his grip while still making sure to embed his weapon deeper into Tatsuki. The demon coughed and felt warm liquid dribble down his chin.

From the other end, Kamuro watched the display of immense pain on Tatsuki's face with grim satisfaction as he slowly rotated the arm the demon had held behind his back a moment before. Then placing both hands firmly on the handle, Kamuro viciously ripped his weapon out of Tatsuki who gave a howl of pain.

Tatsuki stumbled back, clutching his wound as blood poured through his fingers. However much pain he was in at that moment, Tatsuki somehow found the situation funny and began to chuckle. Soon, the chuckling turned into maniacal laughter as he threw back his fiery red head and laughed out loud.

"Jeez, I think this guy's lost his marbles," Kuwabara muttered from the stands. Even with Yusuke and Kurama in between them, Hiei heard this and rolled his eyes at the oaf's stupidity. "_Baka_," he muttered under his breath.

Finally, Tatsuki's laughter subsided back into chuckles again as he slowly turned his head back towards Kamuro. He shook his head and smirked. "Ohh, Kamuro, Kamuro, Kamuro," he sighed in mock pity. "Was that your _best_?" he taunted. His smirked grew and gained a razor edge to it. Tatsuki stretched his arms out on either side of him and added, "Pity, because I've only just started." Tatsuki balled his hands into fists and out from his knuckles shot out sharp, metallic claws.

* * *

"HOLY CHEESE ON RYE!!" Kuwabara exclaimed and went deathly pale. He now knew why everyone included "the Switchblade" whenever referring to the demon below. Kuwabara's wide eyes turned towards Nightwing and watched as the middle-aged human drew out from an inner pocket of his leather jacket three throwing knives.

Amaya's eyes widened as she fixed her angry dark brown eyes at the knives Kamuro held in his other hand. "That _baka_ stole my kunai!" she cried, outraged. She felt a flash of pain travel through her body at the speed of light and bit her lip to keep from grunting in pain. "He's going to pay for that!" she grumbled as she forced herself to settle back down on the bench.

* * *

Tatsuki looked at the throwing knives in a bemused sort of way. "Thinking of practicing your throwing skills on me?" he taunted.

Kamuro glared at him. "Let's dance," he growled and threw the knives at his target. Tatsuki deftly dodged one kunai and then repelled the other two with a swift downward swipe of his right claw. As he was momentarily ignored, Kamuro ran towards Tatsuki and raised his katana high in the air. He brought it down, but Tatsuki saw what Kamuro had been planning and caught the blade with both his claws. They pressed their faces as close as they could towards each other with their weapons in between them.

"You're dead!" Tatsuki spat and pushed off of Kamuro. He back flipped away and the human came after him with his katana raised again. As soon as Tatsuki's feet met the ground, he ducked low and felt the blade pass over his head. He looked up and met Kamuro's angry, hawk-like eyes.

"I've been dead for a long time," Kamuro spat.

Tatsuki smirked. "Then why won't you die?" he retorted and slashed his left set of claws deep across Kamuro's unguarded chest. Kamuro stumbled back and pressed a hand on the three sets of slashes across his chest. He raised that hand and saw the palm of his hand coated thickly with his blood. Kamuro returned his attention on Tatsuki and came at him again. Like before, Tatsuki ducked and Kamuro's katana blade passed over him again, but this time with his free hand balled into a fist, Kamuro let it crash into Tatsuki's face. From the incredible force of the blow, Tatsuki soon found himself flying back in the air.

But that wasn't the end of that round. Kamuro ran after Tatsuki and jumped up, sailing in the air until he was right over Tatsuki where he slammed his feet hard down on the demon's gut, knocking the wind out of him and some blood too. They both crashed to the ground with Tatsuki taking the brunt of the pain with Kamuro still on top of him. They skidded across the ring until they were at the end of the ring, with only Tatsuki's fiery red head hanging off of the edge. Kamuro lifted one foot and pressed it down hard at the base of Tatsuki's neck as he glared daggers at the demon.

"I can't die until it is either you or _both_ of us that are dead," Kamuro shouted and added more pressure on Tatsuki's neck, virtually cutting off his oxygen supply.

Tatsuki's hands grabbed onto Kamuro's boot tight, and although his eyes were wide with fear, there was a malicious smirk playing around his lips. In a final desperate attempt to free himself, Tatsuki removed his right hand from Kamuro's boot and plunged his claws deep into Kamuro's leg.

The human cried out as Tatsuki twisted his claws deeper into his leg, making the wound even worse. Kamuro's katana clattered to the ground, being more preoccupied with the pain now coursing up his leg. Now that the pressure had been lifted from his neck, Tatsuki took back dominance by knocking Kamuro to the ground beside him. Ripping his claws out of the demon hunter's bloody leg, the demon got to his knees and then lunged towards him. Kamuro raised his hands in time to grab onto Tatsuki's neck with one hand and block what would have been a fatal blow to his heart with his other hand. Kamuro rolled them over so he was on top, but Tatsuki used the momentum to gain back the top place, and they kept rolling and rolling almost all over the stadium as Tatsuki still continued his attempt to pierce Kamuro's heart.

At one point when they were near the spot where they had started tumbling about with Tatsuki on top, the claws on the hand that was still being held by Kamuro retracted back into Tatsuki's knuckles. "Stay still, dammit!" Tatsuki shouted impatiently. Somehow, Tatsuki got his hand free of Kamuro's grip. He reared his fist back and slugged Kamuro across the face, drawing blood as he did so. Kamuro flinched slightly but did not stop struggling from underneath him as he took hold of Tatsuki's arm again. Tatsuki smirked widely, for Kamuro had forgotten about the hand that still had its claws. He pressed the blades onto the sensitive flesh on Kamuro's neck until a thin line of blood formed from under the first claw.

Kamuro grunted and stayed as still as a statue under the deadly blade. His chest rapidly moved up and down in anxiety. The grip he had on Tatsuki's other hand was so tight that blood began to slowly pour down Tatsuki's hand as Kamuro's nails dug into his wrist.

Tatsuki grinned viciously down at him. "So this is it for you, eh?" he jeered. "You've been after me for more than a decade, and this is how your work is gonna end? Under more than a thousand demonic eyes? Pathetic!" he snarled.

Out of the corner of his right eye, Kamuro could see his katana laying just a few inches away in that direction. If only he could distract Tatsuki long enough to get it . . .

The said demon drew forth the claws he had earlier hidden. Wrenching his arm away from Kamuro's grip a second time, he raised his balled up hand high in the air and shouted, "Say hello to your wife for me!"

Kamuro snapped his head up as the claws came towards his head. Gathering all the saliva his mouth had to offer, he spat in Tatsuki's face. Tatsuki jerked his head up, which made him miss his target. His claws sunk into the tiled floor and were stuck there, just three inches from Kamuro's left ear.

Taking his moment, Kamuro slipped his legs out from under Tatsuki and kicked out at him. His feet connected hard with the demon's gut and sent him flying back. Without a moment to spare, Kamuro rolled onto his stomach and picked himself up before unsteadily running towards his fallen weapon. Kamuro snatched up his katana and turned towards Tatsuki, who was at that moment just starting to pick himself off of the ground.

Hunched over with a hand holding his aching stomach, Tatsuki slowly turned to face Kamuro with a mask of immense pain on his face. He coughed and more blood dribbled down his chin. "Touche," he spat. He even inclined his head in a mocking bow. With what looked like an immense force of will, Tatsuki straightened up and glared harshly at the human. "You got lucky," he growled and wiped the blood off of his chin with the sleeve of his shirt.

Kamuro spat at Tatsuki's feet. "Luck's got nothing to do with it, Tatsuki," he retorted angrily. Kamuro gripped the hilt of his katana tighter with his right hand. His left hand went into one of the outer pockets of his black leather jacket and out of it he produced an orange-sized bomb.

Tatsuki eyed the bomb warily. He watched as Kamuro lit the bomb by just flicking the small black fuse across his jacket and his eyes widened. "You're going to kill us all!" Tatsuki shouted.

Sitting on the bench where she had not moved the entire time, Amaya smirked as she figured what Kamuro was really going to do. Maybe only a few, but not all of us, she thought as she watched a slow, amused smile form on her team mate's face.

"If that's what it's going to take to kill you once and for all," Kamuro started as he began to play with the bomb by tossing it in the air and then catching it, "Then so be it!" Kamuro caught the bomb again, and this time he reared his hand back and threw the bomb up at the domed ceiling above them.

"DUUUUCK!!" Kurama shouted above the panicked screams that erupted all over the stadium.

_**BOOOOMMM!**_

The bomb exploded, and the center of the ceiling where Kamuro had thrown the bomb began to collapse. Great cracks formed all over the ceiling like roots of a plant and many small pieces of the roof fell into the crowd, killing those who were unfortunate to have not moved out of the way in time. The stadium rumbled and shook like a beast wanting its next meal. Then with a gut-churning screech, a large center piece of the ceiling crash down onto the fighting ring, sending up great billows of smoke in the air and temporarily blinding everyone.

Amaya felt a bit of plaster fall onto her shoulders and brushed the dust off her cloak calmly. She still sat on the bench, feeling unaffected by everything going on, but by the looks and sounds from either side of her, Jin and Touya felt quite differently. Briefly, she turned her head in the direction she knew where Hiei sat and saw him sitting as calmly as she was in the stands, looking around with boredom in his crimson red eyes. The part of the stands where he and his team sat had been more or less unaffected by the bomb and the ceiling collapsing on the ring. Just thinking of the ring and remembering its combatants, Amaya turned her attention back to the center of the stadium.

The smoke was beginning to thin out, and with the new "remodeled" sky roof, the smoke was soon cleared to reveal the massive chunk of what used to be part of the ceiling covering two-thirds of the ring. None of the two fighters or their announcer appeared to be anywhere in sight.

"Dear Kami, I think they're dead," Touya whispered from Amaya's right side. His already pale skin was even a shade paler, making him appear almost like a ghost. Touya's sightless, ice blue eyes were wide with shock.

Amaya's dark brown eyes focused on a spot at the far right side of the ring. "Well think again," she retorted and waved her hand towards the spot where even now Koto the fox girl was emerging from under a pile of rocks.

"Ughh," Koto moaned and unsteadily helped herself back onto her feet. She clutched her furry orange head and winced. "Woah, what the hell happened?" she muttered to herself. Koto looked up and noticed that all eyes were on her. She felt a sweat drop form on the side of her face and fall as she blushed in embarrassment. "Eh-heh, heh," she laughed weakly and brought the mike up to her mouth. "Well, that was a surprise," she said weakly. Koto turned around and her eyes widened in shock when she saw how in disrepair the fighting ring was. Her brown eyes zipped all over the wreckage, trying to find any sight of the fighters until they froze on one body laying at her far left. "Ladies and gentlemen! I have found one of the fighters!" she screamed excitedly into her mike and carefully picked her way over to the body.

Everyone craned their neck as they followed Koto with their heads to where she was going.

"And it's Tatsuki the Switchblade!" Koto yelled, almost sounding triumphant and threw her free hand towards where the half-unconscious demon lay. Tatsuki looked a pitiful sight, laying eagle-spread on one of the rocks that were jutting up in the air. The white, long-sleeved shirt he wore was ripped down the middle to expose his chest, which looked badly wounded and covered in blood. On his forehead, there was a two-inch long gash that dripped blood over his left eye. These were only the more attention-attracting wounds from the fight.

Hearing his name being called, Tatsuki sighed deeply and let his head rest on top of the rock he lay on. "Victory is mine," he laughed and let his claws retract back into his knuckles.

Koto smiled widely so that her small, sharp fangs showed. She turned to address the crowd. "We have our winner!" she screamed ecstatically and waved her free hand again in Tatsuki's direction. "Tatsuki the Switchblade, you are our win-!"

Suddenly, Koto was cut off by a loud crash coming from where she had first emerged from the wreckage. Tatsuki's head snapped up and he turned wary eyes towards the spot as did everyone else in the stadium. There was another loud crash, and this time a small rumble accompanied it. Smoke rose from that area, but when it cleared, those closest to the area gasped and shrieked while Tatsuki stared in wide-eyed shock at the figure slowly emerging from where he had been hiding.

"No!" Tatsuki raised himself from the rock he had lain on and got unsteadily to his feet. He began to sway dangerously, but that did not stop him from slowly trying to make his way over to the figure. "You're still alive!" Tatsuki cried angrily.


	50. Chapter 50

Kamuro Masaki bit his bleeding lip to keep from grunting in pain as he slowly straightened up. He felt something sharply poking his side every time he took a breath and concluded he had broken a rib or two. As he stood up, he felt very dizzy and lightheaded, which may have been caused by the large amount of blood he had lost. Through the whole time the building was being demolished, he still firmly held his katana in his right hand, which was bleeding slightly by his mangled knuckles.

"No! You're still alive!" Kamuro heard Tatsuki shout with rage and shock evident in the despicable demon's tone.

Kamuro closed his eyes and tilted his head back as he focused his sense of sound. Tatsuki was slowly making his way over to where he stood at the far end of the ring. Kamuro heard the soft yet still distinct sounds of the claws that had given Tatsuki his nickname slide out of his knuckles and opened his hawk-like eyes. What gazed back at him through the hole in the ceiling he had created was the faint, silhouetted ghost of the full moon against the darkening blue background of the sky.

Tatsuki stopped in his tracks at the very center of the ring as he watched Kamuro slowly tilt his head down. With rising panic, Tatsuki spotted the familiar determined gleam in Kamuro's eyes that he had come to associate with the fact that this human had something up his sleeve. Tatsuki raised his claws on either side of him and got in a defensive stance, waiting for anything that his nemesis might pull this time.

Kamuro smirked as he raised his katana high in the air. Concentrating what was left of his spirit energy, the blade of the katana began to glow bright, so bright that many demons that had sensitive eye sights covered their eyes from the blinding light.

Even Tatsuki made the mistake of covering his own eyes. Even as he was concentrating on trying not to get blinded, he heard Kamuro cry, "Blade of the Moon!" Quickly, Tatsuki uncovered his eyes and began to run as fast as he could push himself towards the blade of light that was coming straight at him. At the last possible moment, Tatsuki jumped high in the air over the blade of light. It had been planned poorly, for Tatsuki cried out as part of the blade of light cut his right leg deeply. However, even as Tatsuki landed back onto the rocky terrain, he did not stop running towards Kamuro which stunned the human from not reacting in time to defend himself as Tatsuki reared back his right fist and shove his three metallic claws deep into Kamuro's abdomen.

Kamuro opened his mouth and coughed, spraying blood all over Tatsuki. Because of the injury he had received from trying to jump over Kamuro's earlier attack, Tatsuki's right leg gave way under his weight and then his left. His actions made him drag his claws a few inches down Kamuro's abdomen, making the wound even worse and made more blood gush out from it. Kamuro coughed again and stumbled back, crying out as he felt Tatsuki's claws slowly slip out of his body. A few feet away from Tatsuki, already at his closest to the edge of the ring, Kamuro also fell to his knees in front of Tatsuki. His katana clattered hollowly onto the broken tiles and the human lurched forward so that he was now on all fours. He was numb to the jeers and wild cheers from the demon audience that were going wild at the sight of the pool of his own blood slowly forming around him as he stared at the ground below him with disbelief. He felt Death's icy hand grip the stone heart in his chest that had long ago lost its warmth.

_No . . ._ Kamuro thought numbly as painful realization dawned on him like the morning after a terrible battle full of loss. He realized that he was going to die, and that Tatsuki would live. He, Kamuro, was going to die without avenging Hotaru, his beloved wife. The small, silent hope he had carried throughout these dark years, the hope that he would get revenge on Tatsuki and then be able to come home to his son Tenchi was dying as he was too.

_No . . ._ Kamuro could see her face, Hotaru's sweet, loving face. He would be with her again, but not with the reassurance that he had killed her killer.

_No . . ._ Tenchi Masaki, Kamuro and Hotaru's son would grow up without ever knowing his father or mother. He would only have his grandfather left, Hotaru's father. _Tenchi_, meaning "angel" in Japanese.

Kamuro shut his hawk-like eyes tight and felt a tear fall and heard the tiny splat it made as it landed on the ground. "_No . . ._" Kamuro whispered brokenly. Kamuro shot up onto his feet, shouting, "_NOOOO!!_" A light brighter than the one that had surrounded his katana blade began to surround him, and this time everyone in the stadium was blinded by its intensity.

"What's happening?!" Yusuke shouted as he pressed the palms of his hands hard over his watery eyes.

"He's unleashing his full power!" Koenma yelled over Kamuro's voice and those of the demons surrounding them.

As the prince of Spirit World said, the glow around Kamuro suddenly shot up and began to form over the enraged human. Not all the light had gone from Kamuro. His eyes were glowing. There were no pupils, no irises. His whole eyes were alight with his spirit energy. The glowing mass above him began to take shape; it was in the form of a bird.

"A hawk," Amaya murmured as she observed this drama unfold through her half-opened eyelids.

Kamuro's head shot up and the open-mouthed surprise on his face told many that he had no idea how he had just done this incredible feat. However, his shock wore off quickly and Kamuro snapped his head in Tatsuki's direction. The demon was looking up at the glowing hawk with fear plain in his eyes. What was also plain was the visible trembling coming from Tatsuki. Kamuro threw his hand out, and taking its silent command from its master, a high-pitched cry came from the mouth of the hawk before it soared at the speed of light towards Tatsuki with its mouth opened wide.

"Noooo!!" Tatsuki screamed. He lifted his claws and ran head long to meet the large, glowing bird. There was a great explosion as the two collided and once more the building rumbled like an earthquake. The force of the explosion was so powerful that Kamuro had been literally lifted off of his feet and had flown out of the ring. He slammed hard on the wall behind him and slid down, leaving not only a perfect impression of his body on the wall, but also a trail of blood as he landed in a heap on the grass.

Great fumes of smoke momentarily filled the fighting ring, but when it cleared, it revealed to the audience Tatsuki laying face down inside a large, deep hole in the center of the ring.

Jin and Touya quickly jumped to their feet and would have gone towards their fallen team mate had not Amaya caught the back of their shirts (or strap in Jin's case) and had forcefully pulled them back to her sides. "This match is not done yet!" she hissed and motioned back to the fighting ring with a smart nod of her head.

True to her words, and to everyone's astonishment, Tatsuki had somehow lived from Kamuro's last attack as he slowly rolled onto his back and then unsteadily got on all fours, breathing heavily. At that same moment, Kamuro had gained back his consciousness and had propped himself against the wall in a sitting position, equally breathing hard. His now normal hawk-like eyes were wide with supreme astonishment. How could Tatsuki had lived? was running through his mind. The demon in question was now on his feet, though he was supporting himself by one hand holding onto a large rock bside him.

Tatsuki's pain-glazed red eyes glared down at Kamuro. His free hand slipped into his pant pocket and produced a black pill the size of a marble. Kamuro tensed up. He no longer had the strength to do anything anymore. That last attack had finished off the last of his strength. This _really_ was his time to die. Kamuro shut his eyes tight and hoped that Tatsuki would do it quick. However, that was something far from the demon's mind.

"Kamuro," Tatsuki gasped, for it was dreadfully hard to breathe for him now. What he said next caught the immediate attention of the demon hunter and forced him to snap open his eyes. "Kamuro, you may have won this time, but the next and hopefully _last _time we meet for our true fight to the death, it will _not_ be in front of millions of prying eyes."

Kamuro stared up at Tatsuki in horror as he fully understood what his nemesis was about to do. And then, rage spilled through Kamuro's bloody lips. "Coward!" he roared. Not knowing how the hell he got the strength to do it, Kamuro was instantly on his two feet though still leaning heavily on the wall and glaring coldly up at the hateful, vile, despicable demon. His hands were balled into tight fists that were shaking uncontrollably. "You DISGUST me, you fucking coward!"

Tatsuki managed to smirk, although it looked more like a painful grimace. He held up the black pill tauntingly, though where he got _his _strength to do something like that, neither of them knew. "A demon's gotta do, what a demon's gotta do to _survive_," he shouted, and amidst Kamuro's continuous curses, Tatsuki threw down the black pill. As soon as it shattered on the ground, thick, black smoke erupted from the pill and completely surrounded the ring.

Kamuro pushed himself off of the wall and stumbled forward towards the ring desperately. He bellowed, "COWAARRRRD!!" and then fell to his knees. He watched along with everyone else as the smoke quickly cleared away, revealing an empty and desolate fighting ring before them all. Kamuro slowly closed his eyes shut one last time and let himself fall forward onto the cool, welcoming grass.

The human was only half-conscious as many pairs of familiar footsteps came towards where he lay. He soon found himself turned over onto his back and still he kept his eyes closed. Very much wanted, Hotaru's sweet face appeared from underneath his closed eyelids and Kamuro sighed softly.

"_Hotaru . . ._" he whispered before finally letting himself slip into darkness' embrace.


	51. Chapter 51

_"I don't think he's gonna make it, Touya."_

Kamuro shifted his head a little on the soft pillow he lay on. It took him a full minute to register that there was a pillow under his head in which the distantly familiar voices continued talking in hushed tones.

_"He'll pull through, Jin. Don't worry about him. He's strong for a human."_

Pull through . . . ? Pull through from what? Kamuro was aware of a painful dull pounding in his head. He wanted to know what happened to him. This certainly didn't seem to be the Spirit World because Jin and Touya weren't supposed to there. Unless they also died that is.

_"But what if he's not strong en-!"  
_

_"Jin! _Urusai, _or else you'll wake-!"_

Kamuro groaned loudly. He had tried to shift his weight but white hot pain coursed through his body like fast-acting poison and silenced his team mates immediately. Kamuro's hawk-like eyes fluttered open, and he was instantly blinded by the bright lights above him. Before he shut his eyes, he happened to see both Jin and Touya hovering above him with shock written all over their faces.

"'Ey Kamuro! Don't go back to sleep!" Jin shouted, annoying many of the nurses in the medic tent they were in.

Touya raised a fist and bopped Jin right on his head. "_Urusai_!" he hissed.

What happened to me? Kamuro thought as his two team mates began to argue, although in low tones, above him. What happened to Tatsuki? He was drawing up large stretches of blanks where his nemesis was concerned. He knew he passed out from fatigue and blood loss, but when it came to remembering what happened to Tatsuki, Kamuro was lost.

He opened his eyes again, but cautiously and slowly this time, letting all of his senses get used to his surroundings. His voice was croaky as he spoke, "What happened to Tatsuki?"

The pair of voices fell silent once more, but the first had been full of shock; this one was full of apprehension and uncertainty. Finally, Touya spoke, and with full of hesitation.

"You mean . . you don't remember?"

Kamuro's eyes looked from Touya, to Jin, and then back to Touya. Somewhere inside him, he felt a pit of dread opening. "What happened to Tatsuki?" he demanded more insistently.

Jin stood up straight and exclaimed, "I'll get the lassie!" He was gone in a quick blur.

At the mention of "the lassie", images flooded into Kamuro's mind at a staggering rate that he let out a harsh hiss and he shut his eyes closed again. He remembered now. Everything that had happened with his fight against Tatsuki in great detail, he remembered again. And the pit that had started forming in his stomach collapsed and made itself bigger. He gripped the white bed sheets so tightly that his knuckles were white as the crushing realization dawned on the human: Tatsuki had escaped again.

"So it's true," he whispered in devastation.

Touya knew then that Kamuro had remembered and nodded grimly. "Even Amaya couldn't sense his demonic energy anywhere. He took a cowardly route and escaped with his tail in between his legs," he said emotionlessly. It really wasn't his place to judge this, but it was his opinion anyway.

Kamuro sighed heavily, as if he were trying to expel his own soul from his body, and stared blankly up at the white canvas ceiling. "Where's that blasted Jin with Amaya?" he murmured, although his tone was as emotionless as Touya's. He didn't really seem to care anymore. At least not now, anyway. He was too numb from personal defeat.

With nothing else to do, Touya looked around the tent, and the first thing his glazy blue eyes fell on was a familiar short hooded figure at the back of the tent. The figure, which Touya knew immediately as Amaya, stood at the foot of one of the patient's cots.

Amaya looked down at Kuwabara's sleeping figure. He looked worse for wear like the few patients in the tent with a few cuts and bruises here and there on his arms and face, but other than that, he seemed to be doing well.

Amaya herself was still healing from all the wounds she had received during her match against Eyeknife, but she'll live for another day. Even now she could feel her demonic blood slowly healing up her internal wounds. Amaya sighed as she looked down at Kuwabara. She didn't miss him; that much she definitely knew. But she did miss picking on him a lot. She missed Yusuke, Kurama, and most of all, Hiei too. Amaya shook her head and gritted her teeth. It was no use getting all sentimental right now when her team's final match with Kuwabara's own team was so close on her heels.

Kuwabara stirred in his sleep but still slept on. He mumbled a little in his sleep and every once in a while, Amaya could hear him mutter "Yuki-chan".

If it had been anyone but Kuwabara lying defenseless in front of her, Amaya would have snuck a peak into their mind. She let him have his peace and turned away from him. Her eyes locked instantly onto Touya's and she knew within a second that Kamuro had awakened. She started towards the cot, but Kuwabara's feeble voice stopped her.

"Amaya . . ."

When Amaya turned around to face him, Kuwabara's beetle black eyes were so swollen that they were barely considered to be open, but he was still looking up at her as plain as day. "_Kombanwa_ Kuwabara," she told him somberly.

The teenage human cracked a lop-sided grin up at her. "'Ey, Ama-chan. Long time, no see," he croaked. "So it's really that late out there?"

Under the protection of her hood, Amaya flinched when he had addressed her as "Ama-chan" but decided that in his present state, she'd grant him clemency this time. "It is," she finally managed to reply. "I think you've been asleep for nearly three days now. You are such a careless _baka_," she couldn't help adding, but her tone wasn't harsh. She hesitated for a long minute, but then decided to slowly walk back to the cot and stand at Kuwabara's left side.

The human didn't move his head in her direction, but his eyes did slide over to where she stood. "'Ey, where have you been all this time?" he asked. Kuwabara's voice was so soft that Amaya had to slightly bend down in order to hear him. "When Koenma didn't know what had happened to you, we all went nuts!" Here, a glimmer of amusement shimmered under his swollen eyelids. "And even _Hiei _seemed more distracted in training," he added slyly.

Thanking her luck that she had her hood on so that Kuwabara couldn't see the tiny tint of blush on her face, Amaya merely grunted. "I was off somewhere," she replied shortly.

"And that somewhere is . . ?"

"I've got the artifact that Baby Cries-a-Lot made me get for him," Amaya said instead. Just as she had anticipated, Kuwabara was instantly distracted. Right under Amaya's calm dark brown eyes, Kuwabara turned into an excited puppy that she was actually concerned about his heart rate in his weak state.

"Ooooh! You got that transformation necklace thing-y!" he yelled as best as his raspy voice could. It was a sore thing to hear for the ears; Amaya's sensitive ears that is. "I wanna see!"

"Shut that mouth,_ baka mi dai_," Amaya told him sternly. "Do you want to kill yourself through a high blood pressure?" Why do I even care if he does? a small, cold voice in the back of her mind asks. Amaya looked at Kuwabara and noticed that he had stopped talking when she instantly told him about the high blood pressure and went ghastly white. _Oh yeah, he's my friend_, Amaya added mentally, now feeling a tiny guilty. Not really knowing what to do next, she hesitated a moment before slowly sinking sitting down onto the very edge of the cot beside him.

"Do you want to see the necklace or not?" she demanded, wanting to break the stunned silence he was building.

Kuwabara's eyes slid towards her again and a faint smile formed on his dry, cracked lips. "Yeah, okay," he rasped.

From the inside of her cloak, Amaya pulled out the long silver necklace that she had kept hidden since the day she took it from the shape shifter and held it out by the pendant in her palm for Kuwabara to see. It was still the same as the day she had pulled it off from around the shape shifter's neck. The small blue stones at each point of the cross gleamed under the feeble lighting above.

Kuwabara stared at the necklace in awe. He could feel the power radiating off of it. "Can it really transform whoever wears it?" he asked attentively. He was so entirely focused on the necklace that he did not see Amaya take a deep breath.

"It does," she replied emotionlessly. _Here goes my greatest con yet_, she thought silently. "I can show you," she said out loud.

Kuwabara tore his beetle black eyes away from the necklace and looked up at Amaya. "Ooh! Show me!" he cried, although the sound was still quite feeble (and annoying) to the ears. His eyes widened as his companion's demonic energy shot up to an almost incomprehensible height in his current condition. Everyone in the medic tent felt the dramatic change in Amaya's energy and many even trembled under the raw power she was emitting. Great gusts of wind came spontaneously from her body and blew the bed sheets and even some of the tent canvas away from her general direction. Then as soon as the gusts of wind started, it stopped, leaving many people looking windblown.

One of Amaya's delicate hands reached up for her hood and grasped it before flinging it back. Kuwabara gasped as did many others in the tent at the sight in front of them.

The head that had been hidden under the hood was an almost wild vision of beauty. Amaya's hair was still shoulder-length short and still jet black, but in addition, there were neon red streaks in her hair. Her skin was paler with not even a tint of blush that suggested blood flowed in her.

However, it was her eyes that held Kuwabara's attention the most. Her eyes were no longer their usual dark brown-so dark that they almost seemed black-and neither did they hold the warmth that they had so recently held. Her eyes were now blood red with flecks of black, like obsidian stone pieces floating in blood. But what made her eyes so much more peculiar and even scary was that they carried a haunted look in their depths.

Kuwabara shivered almost violently at that thought. "Whoa," was all he could say.

Amaya nodded silently, emotionlessly. However on the inside, she was suppressing the incredible urge to smirk at the effect her true demonic form was having on Kuwabara. She looked around the tent. And apparently it had taken quite an effect on all the other mindless demons that were now looking at her in this tent. She glared daggers at all of them until they quickly looked away in fright.

"W-Where did you get this form?" Kuwabara suddenly spoke as his first initial shock wore off.

Amaya turned back to him with the ready lie on the tip of her tongue. "I happened to have killed a very powerful demon soon after I acquired the necklace," she told him. She watched him nod absentmindedly and then yawn hugely. "I think you've had enough excitement this night," she commented.

Kuwabara grinned sheepishly up at her. Even now his swollen eyelids were closing.

Deciding to help the process along, Amaya bid him an indifferent "Good night baka" before psychically "putting" him to sleep. Amaya sighed heavily as she flung her hood over her head. She let her energy return to its normal level and briefly closed her eyes with satisfaction at her accomplishment. Now everything is all set up for her.

Turning around, she left Kuwabara and made her way towards Kamuro's cot.

* * *

Everything was all ready the next early morning. It was so early when Kamuro woke up in the soft twin-sized bed he had been sleeping on for nearly a month now in the hotel room that the sun hadn't even broken the horizon of the double paned window to his left. Kamuro got dressed, carefully though since he did come back to the hotel last night, and out of habit began to quickly tidy up the room a bit.

Then picking up the duffel bag at the end of the bed that he had woken up two hours ago to pack, Kamuro took one last look around the room before walking out. As he passed in front of the door leading to Amaya's room, he stopped for a moment and leaned in close towards the wood, tuning in the sounds coming from the other side. But curiously, there weren't any sounds to suggest Amaya was still asleep. Pulling back, he dismissed the thought and hurried out of there.

Many floors down later with no one awake but the receptionist at the front desk in the main lobby, Kamuro stepped out through the glass revolving doors and breathed deeply the fresh morning air coming from the sea. With a deep sigh that seemed to come from the depths of his pain-filled soul, Kamuro slung his duffel bag over his shoulder and began to walk away.

"Did you really think that I'd let you leave without having to confront with me first, Kamuro Masaki?"

Just out of instinct, Kamuro quickly took out a kunai from the inner pocket of his leather jacket and turned half way around and threw it.

Just inches away from being pierced through the heart, Amaya deftly caught her kunai and held it up close to her naked face as if to taunt him. "You're getting slow, I see," she coolly commented. "I'll be taking _this_ back, you little thief," she added with a sarcastic smirk.

Kamuro half flashed her one as well and fully turned to face her. He jerked his head back a little so that his long, black hair didn't fall into his hawk-like eyes so much. Then he inclined his head forward in respect. "_Domo arigato_," he told her humbly. "For everything."

Amaya grunted, not really good at these kinds of situations. Actually, she had barely come across these kinds of situations before. "_Sayonara_," she murmured and watched as Kamuro waved at her a final time before slowly turning his back on her. She watched his retreating figure shrink into the distance until he was lost in the forest scenery.


	52. Chapter 52

"So tell us again, why you didn't let us see Kamuro before he went off this morning?" Touya demanded with one of his delicate blue eyebrows raised up questioningly at the captain that stood across from him in the locker room. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned a small part of his lower back onto the lockers behind him, still fixing her with the look.

Jin hovered off to the side in between his two team mates with his long legs crossed Indian-style. He placed his hands on his knees and leaned forward a little, looking at his captain also.

Amaya closed her eyes under her hood and assumed the same position as Touya, arms crossed and leaning on the lockers. It was mid-afternoon. That morning, Kamuro had left the hotel but not without having a last word with Amaya - which was the reason Touya and Jin were complaining. They were somewhat ticked off that Amaya hadn't woken them up so they could have said their farewells to Kamuro also.

"Well it isn't my fault that you two like your sleep and didn't wake up in time to see him leave," Amaya replied coolly. "I'm not your keeper, nor your alarm clock," she added.

"But we wanted to say good-bye!" Jin whined, and he seemed to rise up higher in the air by three inches. "He was our team mate!"

"Yes; and the key word here being _was_," Amaya retorted. Her eyes were wide open now, and both Jin and Touya could see blood red and black-specked eyes flashing dangerously underneath her hood. "Now I won't tolerate anymore of this! We have our final match to concentrate on!"

They all fell silent, and Jin and Touya looked away from Amaya.

Amaya sighed silently and shook her head, for guilt began to tug at the back of her mind. "Look you two, my"-Amaya stumbled over the next word-"ap-apologies, but this is our final match. We can't afford to lose this."

As if on cue, the intercom on the far wall behind Jin blasted on and Koto's voice was heard loud and clear around the nearly empty locker room. "Attention ladies and ghouls! Our final match is just about to begin! Please take your seats so we can start going over rules and procedures-"

Amaya pushed herself off of the locker and straightened her clothes. "Let's go," she said gruffly and gestured towards the exit that led out to the hallway.

Touya did the same, and with Jin back on the ground, they followed their team captain.

When they stepped out into the arena, it was evident that everyone was waiting for them. All eyes were upon the three remaining members of Team Sparta as their eyes were upon the three remaining members of Team Uremeshi who were already in the ring. They were ready and waiting. With Amaya leading them, the three walked towards the ring and stepped onto it, marching up until they were face to face with Team Uremeshi.

Amaya looked up at Yusuke in a way so that the lights up on the ceilings illuminated her fiery bi-colored eyes. She smirked as she saw the anxiety, not fear, in his chocolate brown eyes, but Yusuke Uremeshi wasn't the real reason why she was smirking so smugly under the protection of her hood. To the right of Yusuke stood Hiei, and he was glaring openly at Amaya.

Koto suddenly appeared in between the two team captains with her cordless microphone in her hand. With anticipation of this final match, she was bouncing on the balls of her heels with more energy than usual. "Let's get this under way!" she shouted into her mike. Her high pitched voice boomed over the audience. "Team Uremeshi"-there was a lot of distinct _boos_ and hisses there-"and Team Sparta"-many cheering there-"for the final match of the tournament!" With anticipation, she looked from Amaya and Yusuke. "Who will be our first contestants?" she demanded.

Yusuke had never taken his eyes off of the other team captain. He stared hard at the blood red and black-specked eyes, silently daring them to pick their first fighter.

Amaya's smirk grew even more. With a telepathic command thrown at Jin, they silently took a step back so that Touya stood alone and in front of them.

Koto grinned and threw a hand out to Touya. "And Team Sparta picks their very own Touya the Ice Master for the first round!" She turned to Yusuke. "And who will be his opponent?" she demanded, now with a touch of impatience.

From Yusuke's left side, Kurama stepped forward and said, "I will."

Koto nodded and addressed the audience. "There you have it, ladies and demons! First round of the final match is Touya the Ice Master versus Yoko Kurama in what seems to be for a rematch!" she shouted enthusiastically, waving her free arm about and standing up on her tip-toes. She smiled widely and practically drank in the audience's wild cheers and screams. Their vigor seemed to give her more energy. She turned back around and saw that everyone but Touya and Kurama had left the ring to their respective places on the sidelines. She raised her hand up high in the air.

Touya and Kurama took up fighting stances, staring each other down.

"Begin!" Koto screamed and threw her hand down in between them.

Touya and Kurama began to slowly circle around, neither letting their guard down as they assessed each other. The audience of fickle demons shouted and jeered down at Kurama, hoping that Touya the Ice Master would tear him bit by bit.

Kurama came to a sudden halt, and Touya did the same. Yet the difference was that Kurama had given up the fighting stance he had held and straightened up while Touya still had his hands out in front of him as if to block any attacks his opponent should make.

"Were you forced into this tournament or was it by your own will that you joined?" Kurama suddenly asked of Touya.

The demon was nearly taken off guard at the question, but he quickly recovered and narrowed his glossy blue eyes in a fierce look. "That is none of your business, Yoko Kurama," Touya retorted coolly. Then he said something that in return took Kurama completely off guard, "You'd best be concerned with saving your life if you want to be able to see Amaya again." Knowing this was his first and only chance to strike, Touya disappeared before Kurama's wide, surprised eyes, and the battle truly began.

Kurama felt Touya's demonic energy from behind and quickly spun around as he held his right arm up. Kurama grunted as he felt hard contact with his lower arm and the side of Touya's hand and even skidded back a few feet from the force brought upon him. Touya leaped back and had disappeared again.

* * *

Out on the sidelines where Hiei and Yusuke stood observing the battle, Hiei of the Jagan Eye could not help that his crimson red eyes strayed more on Team Sparta's cloaked captain across the ring than on the fight taking place in the ring. He saw her bi-colored eyes watching the battle before them very carefully, and they were the only open signs of the female demon under the cloak.

And once more, Hiei found himself questioning the true identity of this mysterious figure. Was it really Amaya Toshi under that hood? The owner of _those_ eyes? Hiei didn't recall ever seeing eyes like these before. They were like a lost memory, a haunting dream of the past that was pushed away from his mind and surrounded by shadows. The demonic aura surrounding this figure slightly had similar wave links as Amaya, but they were fiercer, stronger; like a caged lion just bidding its time until it has its chance to avenge for its captivity.

Was it really Amaya? The question reminded Hiei of what happened back in their team locker room between Kurama and him before they had been summoned to the arena.

Kurama had walked up to him, Hiei, who was leaning his back against the lockers with his arms crossed over his chest, eyes closed. Kurama had taken a seat on the bench in front of Hiei and he had not even begun to form the question in his mind when Hiei said, "So it seems that you've had an inkling what's going on with Team Sparta's captain."

Kurama smiled faintly and met Hiei's crimson red eyes with his emerald orbs. "And how long have you known_ her_ identity, Hiei?" he asked quietly, like he had known all along that Hiei would have been the first to figure it out.

Hiei grunted and looked away, towards the window at the far right. It was a sunny day, a perfect day that should have been best spent outside. "Since my confrontation with her a few days ago; before their semi-final match," he finally replied.

Kurama crossed his legs and placed his hands on his lap, deep in thought. "There are many similarities between them, yet there is also a great deal of differences," he carefully said, as if this was merely an observation than cold facts.

Hiei turned his head back to look at Kurama, his face a delicate emotionless mask. "It _is_ her," Hiei told him firmly, insistently.

Kurama could only nod.

* * *

Hiei was snapped out of his reverie when the audience's usual noise began to rise higher than normal, hinting that something that had happened in the ring was not to their agreement. The majority of the demons were repeatedly chanting "Kill! Kill!" over and over, each time more ferocious than the last. Hiei turned his attention back to the fighters and saw the reason for the demons' intense displeasure.

Touya gasped and his eyes grew wide with pain as Kurama pushed one of the ice daggers Touya had made himself deeper into his left forearm. Blood dripped from the wound, seeping through the cloth of Touya's sleeve, and fell in multitude drops on the tiles. Touya felt his opponent slipping something into his wound and raised his second dagger with his right hand, driving it deep into Kurama's left shoulder. The human-demon instantly released Touya's arm and took a step back from shock, but not without a satisfied look across his pain-wracked features. Touya let go of the dagger and reared his fist back, letting it collide strongly across Kurama's jaw, making him fly back from the force.

Touya looked down at his useless left arm. He grabbed onto the ice dagger and pulled it free with a painful grimace. Dropping the weapon, he pressed his hand hard on top of the wound. It was so deep, that the tip of the dagger had poked through the other side of the limb. Touya tried flexing his fingers, but found them paralyzed. Yet this paralysis did not feel like a typical one. Touya remembered that Kurama had slipped something into his wound and had a quick flashback of the Dark Tournament where Kurama was pitted against Gama, Touya's former team mate.

Touya spun around and saw Kurama already on his feet. The dagger was no longer lodged in his left shoulder, but blood dripped down his silk lavender shirt. He was holding onto his left side, which meant that he must have broken something there, a rib or two perhaps.

"You placed the death seed in me!" Touya shouted.

Kurama winced but smiled slightly, with a glint in his eye. "Which is now already festering in your whole arm, I expect," he observed, eyeing Touya's right hand over his wound.

Touya glared at him. "It may have worked for Gama, but that was because he didn't have the _element_ to counter it!" he shouted. Quickly, Touya concentrated his demonic aura on his wound through his hand and a half-inch layer of ice formed on his arm that reached half way up his upper arm down to his wrist.

Kurama's eyes widened at this, for it reminded him distinctively of a time that seemed so long ago when Amaya had countered his death seed by using her own element of fire to incinerate his seed inside her. And Kurama knew now that his suspicions were correct. Touya and Jin's team captain really is Amaya!

Out on the sidelines where Amaya and Jin stood closely observing the battle, the former smirked under her hood, for she had read every one of Kurama's thoughts. As long as Koenma doesn't figure it out, she was safe.

Touya let go of his ice-encased arm and when he turned his attention back to Kurama, he saw that his opponent's face held a mask of revelation and surprise; and Touya knew why. Yet not wanting to waste another second more, Touya quickly charged at Kurama as he raised his right arm. Instantly, a sword of ice formed around his arm.

Kurama snapped out of his momentary daze and pulled out from his hair a single rose. He held it in front of him, and when Touya was within his reach, Kurama flicked the rose and turned it into his infamous Rose Whip. He flicked it at Touya, but the Ice Master jumped and spun over the razor sharp thorns unscathed. As he was in mid-air over Kurama, he raised his ice sword and brought it down.

What would have been a fatal blow was blocked by a sudden appearance of what looked like a green sword. Kurama saw the perplexed look on Touya's face and explained, "A simple blade of grass can become even the deadliest of weapons in my hands." He pushed Touya off and they began to parry with one another.

"You are truly a master of your own element," Touya couldn't help but praise him as he ducked a blow that would have severed his head from his body. He thrust his sword out, but Kurama flipped back a few times, raising his sword like an expert.

"And you also, Ice Master," Kurama replied and a nod. For a brief moment, his emerald eyes flickered towards Touya's ice-encased arm that held the useless death seed in his deep wound.

Touya saw the calculating look in Kurama's eyes and did not like it one bit. Then without warning, Kurama disappeared in a blur before his eyes. Touya held his ice sword in front of him as he took a defensive stance, straining to sense his opponent out.

"Over here," Kurama's voice from behind said.

Touya's eyes widened and he screamed as Kurama's grass-made sword pierced through the wound on Touya's left arm, shattering not only the ice surrounding the limb but also the bone on his upper arm. Kurama jumped back as Touya tried to catch him with his blade by slashing it backwards. He let go of his sword in the process and the weapon turned back into a blade of grass, dropping onto the tiles. He watched as Touya's ice sword instantly melted around his right arm. Touya placed his right hand over his wound again and replaced the ice that Kurama had shattered. Yet when Touya turned around to face him, it was certain to Kurama that Touya's left arm was as useless as Kurama's death seed.

Touya panted hard from breathlessness and pain. He slowly sank to his knees and placed his right hand flat on the broken tiles. His glazy-blue eyes were still fixed on Kurama, who looked in no better a shape than he. Half of Kurama's lavender shirt was covered with his blood from where Touya had pierced him in his left shoulder. Kurama also held himself in a peculiar way with his upper body slightly bent forward, off to the right side, which was one of the effects of a broken rib or two. It seemed to Touya that Kurama was also having difficulty breathing too.

The demonic crowd was turning into something like a wild, starving animal. Many were telling Touya to "stop sitting there and destroy the human lover already!"

Touya looked down at the palm of his right hand, and then closed his eyes.

Out in the stands, there sat a complacent ice maiden watching this battle with her other female companions. Being of the ice, she instantly recognized the blue aura that began to surround Touya the Ice Master. He's going to concentrate on freezing the ring! she thought worriedly as she turned her crimson red eyes towards Kurama.

Kurama had also come to that same conclusion, but it was too late to stop his opponent. He watched as a thick layer of ice began to form around Touya and spread out like an infectious disease. Remembering last time this same thing happened in the Dark Tournament, Kurama jumped over the ice as it was spreading in his area and when he landed back on his feet, the whole ring was covered like a glacier.

Touya slowly stood up and locked eyes with Kurama, a devilish look in his eyes. "I may have use of only one arm, Kurama, but that does not mean it limits my fighting abilities greatly," he said.

Kurama nodded and got in a fighting stance. "As I've known all along," he replied.

Touya's eyes gleamed. He raised his right hand. It began to glow blue, and with a flick of his wrist, hundreds of five-feet long, sharp icicles appeared all around him, jutting up from the ice on all sides.

"Say your prayers, Kurama," Touya told him.

Kurama's eyes widened in surprise; Touya had improved his abilities greatly since the last time they faced each other. Kurama realized this now. He tensed up and watched the casual flick of Touya's wrist sent the icicles coming at him. Kurama pulled out another rose from behind his ear and transformed it into his Rose Whip as he charged forward towards Touya, straight into the icicles. Kurama jumped high over them, but to his utter surprise, some of the icicles shot out at him. He flicked his thorny whip and many of the deadly icicles shattered to pieces. Yet again to his astonishment, as the pieces of ice fell back onto the frozen tiles, they were instantly reabsorbed into the ice.

_He can't keep controlling them forever_, Kurama thought as he dodged and sliced for his life against these seemingly never-ending bombardments of icicles. _He will eventually tire out and his aura would diminish from trying to control all of these for so long . . ._ But I will eventually tire out too. Kurama felt a cold, sharp end of an icicle pierce his leg and he gasped. He ripped it out of his leg quickly but the damage was done. His leg was nearly a dead weight to him now as he dragged it along with him.

Touya smirked inwardly. I have you now, he thought. Raising his right hand chest-level, he began to make Chinese figures with his fingers. The icicles seemed to melt back into the frozen ground, and when Kurama had thought that the worse was over and that Touya had exhausted himself, the entire arena began to rumble harshly.

Kurama spun around on the heel of the foot of his uninjured leg and looked towards Touya. He saw the Ice Master's whole body glow a deep blue and his glossy eyes were completely white.

Touya made the last figure with his fingers and shouted, "Prison of the Frozen Hearts!"

Kurama nearly toppled over as the fighting ring began to shake now. He saw with increasing alarm that the ice all over the ring was growing and moving like water. Then, a gigantic tidal wave made entirely of ice formed behind Touya. After throwing his hand forward in Kurama's direction, the tidal wave came at Kurama with frightening speed. All Kurama could do was hold his arms over him and crouched down at the colossal thing covered him whole.

"KURAMAA!!" Yusuke shouted at the top of his lungs as he lost sight of his friend. It was a wonder that he was heard at all because at that moment, the chaotic cheers from the demonic audience was deafening to the ears.

Beside him, Hiei's hands were balled into tight fists on either side of him. He was not aware that his nails were digging into the palm of his hands. A trickle of blood began to pour from his right hand and landed softly onto the grass below. _Don't you go and die, Kurama_, Hiei thought angrily. _If anything happens to you . . . _Hiei's blazing eyes met those of the other team's captain, indifferent yet still reassuring. He felt someone trying to probe into his mind and let them.

A harsh female voice spoke. --He is not dead--

Hiei hissed angrily under his breath. --You will be dead should your words prove false_ baka onna_!-- On the other side of the ring, the cloaked figure pointed into the ring where Kurama had disappeared.

But had he? No, he was still in the ring, but he was now almost nothing more than an ice cube.

Koto, who had been hiding the whole time while still performing her duties as emcee, stepped forward and looked warily at the frozen block of ice holding Kurama in it. Her cat ears pricked up at the sound of the shuffled noise of footsteps and spun around. She faced Touya.

"Is he-?"

Touya shook his head and grimaced from pain. "He is still alive," he told her emotionlessly. "Yet I am demanding that I be made victor of this match since it's unlikely he would be in any condition to fight should he somehow pull a miracle escape out from there," he demanded.

Koto took a cautious step back from him and nodded her head feverishly. "O-Of course!" she squeaked. Holding her microphone to her mouth, she yelled, "Touya is our winner!"

Amaya nodded approvingly as Touya walked towards her and Jin slowly. The latter flew across the distance that separated them quickly and helped Touya towards the bench.

Amaya stood in front of Touya. "I believe you've forgotten something," Amaya remarked and jabbed her thumb over her shoulder.

For a moment, Touya looked at her with an expressionless look on his face, but when his eyes landed on the still frozen Kurama back in the ring with his two team mates surrounding him, recognition flooded into his mind. He raised his right hand and instantly the ice melted around Kurama.

Amaya nodded. "You're new abilities have exceeded my expectations," she said.

Touya nodded solemnly, but inside he was glowing with pride because to hear that coming from Amaya was high praise indeed.

Amaya looked down at his frozen left arm and saw how damaged it was. Without a word, she gently took the almost lifeless limb in her hands. Her hands began to glow a faint red and she transferred the gathered aura in her hands to Touya's arm. He gasped softly, for the raging pain that he had felt in his arm was ebbing away and he felt the feeling come back into his fingers.

Amaya removed her hands as she took deep breaths, for it still was not easy for her to heal using her aura. "Is it better now?" she demanded.

Touya carefully lifted his left arm and examined it closely. The wound was still there, but it was no longer bleeding, nor was it as deep as it had been before. He found that he could move his fingers and hand again. "Yes it is," he replied with gratification evident in his tone.

Amaya nodded carelessly and turned around towards the ring. Her eyes instantly locked on a pair of familiar crimson red eyes.

And they were blazing for vengeance.


	53. Chapter 53

Amaya felt a presence in the back of her mind trying to break down her mental barrier, and the intensity of the rage was making her head reel. Having used some of her spirit energy to heal Touya, keeping Hiei out of her mind was giving her a blinding headache. Amaya took a step back and nearly stumbled, but a pair of strong, calloused hands grabbed her shoulders.

Amaya looked over her shoulder and saw Jin's bright green eyes looking down at her curiously. She pushed off of him and looked back at Hiei with a menacing glare. Though no one knew it, they were now having a battle of mental power to see who would back down. Visualizing a whip with a dagger at the end, Amaya mentally lashed it out at Hiei and saw with satisfaction as he winced horribly. _An eye for an eye_, she thought grimly.

"Team Sparta, please pick your next contestant to go against Hiei of the Evil Eye!" Koto yelled from the center of the fighting ring.

Amaya smirked grimly up at Hiei and tilted her head so that he could see that grin. Hiei glared daggers at Amaya and pointed at her, silently challenging her.

Koto stood on her tip-toes and said into her mike, "Ooh! It looks like Hiei is calling out Team Sparta's captain to fight him!" Her eyes widened. "But wait!" she shouted. "It seems that Sparta's captain is refusing!"

Everyone in the audience was now craning their neck to get a better look down in the arena.

Amaya waved her finger tauntingly up at Hiei before stepping to the side so that Hiei saw Jin floating cross-legged where she had been. Amaya silently turned her head to Jin and nodded at him. Jin grinned excitedly, nodding his head rapidly even as his long, pointy ears wiggled.

"Whoohoo! My turn!" he exclaimed as he soared high into the air and then landed without a sound next to Koto.

Hiei looked wildly from Jin and Amaya. "You are _my _opponent! I will not accept anyone else!" he growled.

Koto took a step towards him, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, but if Team Sparta-" she stopped dead in her tracks as well as in mid-sentence when Hiei threw a venomous look over his shoulder at her. "Eek!" she squeaked and disappeared behind Jin. _I am NOT paid enough for this!_ she thought, shaking in fear.

Jin stepped away from Koto and began to wind up his right arm. To Hiei, he said, "I shouldn' be complainin' now. This fight s'already started."

Hiei slowly turned to Jin and drew out his katana. "I will make quick of you," he growled angrily. "Or I can take it slow for payback."

Jin quirked an eyebrow, confused. "Wha' payback?" he asked.

Hiei threw his black cloak off, revealing his upper compact, toned figure. Under his white bandana, his Jagan Eye glowed brightly. "For Kurama!" Hiei said and quickly charged at Jin.

"I don't think Jin will win this," Touya remarked as he and Amaya watched the second fight unfold.

Amaya knew Touya was right. Hiei had speed, which was a match for Jin's element of the wind. Hiei's demonic spirit energy was also skyrocketing from his rage because of Kurama's current condition and not having to fight Amaya. Jin would lose this one.

Amaya put a hand to her temple and rubbed it, feeling the strong throbbing of her pulse from underneath her fingertips. Her head was still throbbing painfully from the mental lashing Hiei had given her. She looked up at the audience and quickly scanned the first two rows. She spotted the girls sitting in the first row directly behind Yusuke and Kurama. Keiko, Boton, and a long, brown haired girl whom Amaya assumed was Kuwabara's older sister that he had talked about were sitting alone with no Koenma in tow.

Yet where was Yukina? Amaya was sure the ice maiden had been with the three a few minutes ago. An alarm set off in Amaya's pounding head and she quickly closed her eyes. She focused her spirit energy and searched for Hiei's twin sister.

Yukina was lost, wandering around the multiple halls inside the stadium, and she was all alone.

Amaya snapped her dark brown eyes open.

Touya turned his head just in time to see Amaya start to set off towards the exit tunnel. "Where are you going? You're going to miss Jin's fight!" he called out to her.

Amaya never turned around, but her voice floated back to him, "I need to take care of some business."

* * *

Yukina wandered through another hallway full of creepy and sinister-looking demons, growing more scared and unsure of herself with every footstep she took. She didn't like the hungry looks these demons were giving her. She regretted now that she had left the others by herself. She should have taken one of the girls to help guide her down to the arena so that she could use her healing abilities to heal Kurama. Now she was lost and virtually defenseless should a pack of demons try to do something to her.

* * *

"Hey you guys, where's Yukina?"

Boton the Grim Reaper and Shizuru Kuwabara's heads turned to their left immediately, but did not see their gentle demonic friend sitting next to Keiko's other side, opposite of Boton. They all shared a worried look and instantly looked over at Hiei, who was at the moment trying to fend off one of Jin's assaults on him.

Boton placed a hand over her mouth. "Oh my, Hiei is not going to like this one bit if he finds out Yukina is missing!" she said in a muffled tone.

Shizuru shook her head and turned to Keiko. "Hey, check with Yusuke or Kurama and see if they saw her leave," Shizuru ordered.

Keiko nodded and turned to Yusuke and Kurama. She cupped her hands over her mouth and leaned forward. "Yusuke!" she shouted.

Hearing the panic in his girlfriend's tone, Yusuke quickly spun around and looked up at her. "What's the matter, Keiko?" he demanded anxiously.

"Did you see where Yukina went?" Keiko asked him.

Yusuke's eyes widened and a vision of Hiei going on a killing rampage crossed his mind. "You _lost_ her?!" he screamed, now panicked himself.

Shizuru rolled her eyes. "Well apparently_ he_ doesn't know where she is either then," she remarked.

A drop of sweat slipped down the side of Boton's face. "We have to go find her now!" she cried.

Keiko nodded over her shoulder at them and turned back to her boyfriend's angry face. "Don't give me that look Yusuke Uremeshi!" she shouted down at him. "We're going to find her right now!"

"Well you girls better hurry because from the looks of this match, this one won't last long!" Yusuke told her. He turned to Kurama. "Do you think we can sense her out?"

Kurama, who had been sitting on the grass with his back on the wall and had heard everything, looked up at Yusuke and shook his head sadly. "Neither of us would be able to detect her signature out of the thousands on this island, let alone the hundreds in this very stadium," he told Yusuke. "We just have to keep faith that the girls will find Yukina in time and that nothing bad has happened to her yet."

* * *

At the end of the hallway Yukina took a left turn into another. The hallways seemed endless. Yet this one felt different. A few of the lights above blinked on and off eerily. Yukina clasped her hands together and shivered, for she felt a foreboding feeling pulse through her body.

Suddenly her ears perked up and she spun around to face the way she had come, but there was no one there.

_Strange_, thought Yukina, growing more fearful by the second. _Where did all the demons go?_

"Looking for us, little Koorime child?" asked a rough, menacing voice in her left ear.

Yukina gasped, and her instincts quickly kicked in. She shut her eyes tight and concentrated hard on her ice apparition aura.

"Harlet, get back!" one of the five other demons surrounding Yukina told his boss. However, all six of them reacted too late and an icy blast of Yukina's aura blew them back into the walls, killing two of the weaker ones.

_Run_, said a soft female voice in the back of Yukina's head. It was not her own voice, but Yukina trusted it anyway and began running back the way she came from.

The demon named Harlet saw the ice apparition run past him and shouted, "Don't let it get away!"

Yukina ran harder, past many hallways and down many flights of stairs. Every demon that she ran past on the way just watched and smirked sinisterly. Her breathing labored heavily as she ran down another flight of stairs. Halfway down, she accidentally stepped on the hem of her kimono and stumbled. Closing her eyes, she let all restrains go as her body rolled and bumped down the rest of the stairway. She landed painfully on her back and moved no more except for the shallow rising and falling of her chest. Yukina sensed the four demons above her, surrounding her.

The leader, Harlet, chuckled. "Poor little Koorime," he taunted. He bent down and grabbed Yukina's left arm, lifting her high in the air so that her feet dangled inches from the ground. Harlet turned to his boys. "How should we _divide_ her, eh?" he chuckled.

One of his cronies to his left grinned wickedly. "I want the legs!" he wheezed.

"Yeah, well I want the head!"

"No way! You got the head from the last one!" another yelled, glaring at his comrade that stood next to him.

Terror gripped Yukina's heart as the four bickered over her body parts. Her crimson red eyes darted everywhere for any sign of anyone who would rescue her from this, and her eyes landed on a small, dark figure standing at the top of the stairs. Yukina had found her savior in the figure's flashing red and black-flecked eyes.

"Yes well, that's very dandy boys, but I want the _whole_ girl," the figure spat. They slowly walked down the stairs as the four demons turned to her, fixing on their faces looks of apprehension and fear from the harshness of the feminine voice. Her long, black cloak whispered as she took her time moving towards the group.

Yukina found herself dropped unceremoniously on the cold floor with the four demons surrounding her possessively. The leader Harlet spoke.

"Finders, keepers!" he growled. His comrades nodded fiercely behind him. They all looked ready to pounce on the intruder. The blinking lights from above gave them all a menacing look.

The figure stopped inches from Harlet. Because of the short height of the figure compared to the towering height of Harlet, the figure had to look up at him. For a moment as Harlet stared down at the figure's head, the lights above flickered on, and he came eye to eye with a frightening pair of blood red eyes with obsidian flecks.

Harlet gasped, recognizing those eyes that many demons whisper of. "N-Nightfire!" he shouted.

The other three demons took a step back with horror written all over their faces. And then in a split decision, all three of them took off.

When Harlet was aware he was the only one still there, he swallowed hard and began to back away from the assassin. Sweat poured steadily down his face and he trembled as if an inner earthquake had erupted from his very core. His orange eyes dilated as Nightfire began to approach him. He did not dare take the ice apparition as a shield as he stepped past her. "P-Please!" he begged. "Don't k-kill me!"

He blinked, and it was a fatal mistake for Nightfire had disappeared from his sight.

To reappear behind him. "I won't kill you," the deadly, silky voice whispered in his pointed ear. Harlet was about to breathe a sigh of relief when Nightfire added, "I'll _murder_ you." Harlet heard the quick sound of a blade being unsheathed and then he gagged.

Yukina turned around and saw the eyes of Harlet's body less head staring up at her in terror. Yukina covered her mouth and gasped. A shadow fell over her and she looked up.

She saw Amaya's serious dark brown eyes looking down at her, nearly obscured by the short jet-black hair that fell on either side of her face. Yukina jumped up and hugged her friend tightly. "Oh, Amaya-san!" Yukina exclaimed happily.

Amaya stiffened up, but managed to awkwardly pat her friend on the small of her back before pulling out and straightening her cloak. Amaya looked at Yukina critically. "Why are you by yourself?" she demanded, with a tiny trace of worry in her tone.

Yukina looked ashamed of herself, and Amaya almost felt ashamed herself. "I thought I'd go and help heal Kurama-san, but I did not take any of the girls. I am sorry, Amaya-san," she apologized with a sad look on her angelic face.

Amaya rolled her eyes guiltily and shook her head. "It's alright, Yukina," she replied. She motioned with her head towards the exit behind her. "Let's get out of here and let the custodians clean up this mess," she added with a contemptuous look at Harlet's remains.

"Where have you been, Amaya-san?" Yukina asked when they had entered the large food court attached to the stadium. "You have been gone for a month, and not even Lord Koenma could locate you."

_Lord Koenma_. Amaya's left eye twitched at the title of respect that the brat did not have the honor of having. That was her opinion anyway. They sat at an empty table across from each other. She noticed that Yukina was patiently waiting for her answer.

"I was assigned to find a necklace that could transform into anyone that the beholder touches," she told the ice apparition calmly. "I was held up because the demon kept transforming into many different forms to elude me. This all took the whole month, and I had finished a few days ago. I thought I'd come cheer"-the corner of Amaya's lip curved slightly-"Hiei's team," she finished. Getting an idea suddenly, Amaya pushed back her hair and reached towards her neck. She grabbed the necklace of Henka and showed it to Yukina. "This was the necklace I was to retrieve," she told her.

Yukina's eyes widened at the beauty of the craftsmanship of the necklace. "Have you tried to transform in it?" she asked curiously, like a newborn kitten. Yukina looked up and saw her friend smile, but to Amaya it was actually a smirk. Then before Yukina's eyes, Amaya's appearance began to change drastically.

Her friend's eyes became blood red and black flecks of obsidian began to appear in those terrible eyes. Her skin complexion became lighter, like cream, and her shoulder-length, jet black hair acquired neon red streaks. The effect was terrifying on Yukina.

"Well I frankly like it," Amaya remarked upon seeing the look on Hiei's sister's face.

"Was that-?"

"Yes," Amaya immediately replied. "That was what the shape shifter had looked like."

Yukina slowly shook her head and Amaya chose that time to change back to her humane form because she was starting to receive suspicious looks from the demons in the tables around them.

Yukina looked at Amaya again. "Will you be staying long to see the boys win the tournament?" she asked her.

_Tch. More like lose._ Amaya forced herself to smile and replied in an apologetic tone, "I don't think I shall because I have to find the br-_Koenma_," she quickly corrected herself, "and give him back the necklace as soon as possible." Amaya quickly sat up and used her senses to scan the whole area.

"What is wrong?" Yukina asked worriedly.

Amaya relaxed and shook her head. "I shall see you soon, Yukina," Amaya told her. She stood up and looked away, where she sensed three familiar female energy signatures coming this way. Amaya put her hood back on. "_Sayonara_." With a casual wave of her hand and a swish of her cloak, Amaya was gone.


	54. Chapter 54

The stadium was as packed as ever for the last match. This match would determine which of the last two teams would be the victors of the tournament. The demonic crowd was becoming more restless and bloodthirsty by the minute because no one knew where the team captain of Team Sparta went.

"Calling Team Sparta's captain! Where in the Three Worlds are you?!" Koto shouted once more into her mike, this time with a hint of desperation in her voice. She spun around on her spot, hoping that doing so would make the missing fighter appear somehow. She knew as much as anyone else that if they didn't make an appearance soon, Yusuke Uremeshi would win by default.

Yusuke, who stood not far away from her in the ring, crossed his muscular arms over his chest and leaned back on his heels. "Heh, maybe they forfeited," he said confidently, although a small part of him was disappointed that he wouldn't have to fight to win this match.

Koto turned to him. "According to the rules, the competitors are not allowed to forfeit!" she yelled angrily at him.

Yusuke leaned towards her and yelled, "Don't yell at me, you stupid mutt!" Remembering who he was yelling at, Yusuke stood back and rubbed the back of his head. "Heh, whoops," he muttered as a drop of sweat rolled down the side of his face.

Touya looked away from the ring, where Koto was just starting to yell at Yusuke Uremeshi about giving her more respect as the announcer, towards the tunnel where Amaya had disappeared from during Jin's fight. She wouldn't dare forfeit, Touya thought. It was she who had planned everything from the start. It was she who was going to finish this.

--Which I will finish with triumph-- said a familiar cold female voice from the back of his head.

Amaya stepped out from the shadow of the tunnel and into the open. She looked to her right and caught Touya's glazed blue eyes. She smirked at the perplexed look he had across his face at her arrival. --So Jin lost-- It was a flat statement.

From where he stood, Touya seemed to have straightened his posture a little more. --He had done his best-- he thought defensively out of loyalty to his friend and comrade.

Amaya shook her head a little. --I did not expect him to win anyways, and neither did you-- she told him before looking over to her left side. Piercing crimson red eyes locked onto her dark brown eyes that were clearly seen under her hood. Though he was badly injured and his power much reduced, Amaya could still feel the raw fury radiating off of Hiei.

Amaya smirked at him from under her hood before turning her full attention to the fighting ring, locking eyes with Yusuke Uremeshi, who wore a smirk across his teenage facial features. Amaya jumped high in the air and landed softly into the ring a few feet in front of Yusuke so that in between them Koto the referee stood.

Koto raised her free hand up high. "Begin!" she shouted, but no sooner than the word left her mouth and echoed through the speakers that it was drowned out by the sudden harsh whirling of air caused by the captain of Team Sparta.

"Holy cow!" Yusuke cried as he raised an arm to shield his eyes from flying debris and positioned his legs firmly on the ground so that he would not fly away. He felt the spirit energy of his hooded opponent skyrocket to such an incredible height that he was starting to think that he was in serious trouble. Yet knowing this also excited him at the prospect of a great match.

Amaya powered up to nearly her full strength. The energy that she was radiating was even powerful enough to blow Koto out of the ring. Yusuke also seemed to have a hard time standing up against it. As everything settled down, she smirked under her hood at the look of excitement mixed with fear on Yusuke's face.

"Game time," she whispered before disappearing in a blur.

Yusuke quickly bent down into a defensive stance, arms up with legs parallel to his shoulders. His pulse raced as he tried to sense out his opponent. He detected a presence behind him and kicked out in that direction.

Amaya held out her hands to keep the blow away from her chest and slightly skidded across the worn-out tiles in the process.

For a moment as his opponent came to a halt, their black cloak slightly moved out of the way of their front. Yusuke saw not only the black tank top and cargo pants his opponent wore, but along with their accessories, Yusuke saw the glint of something silver and blue. However, whatever he had seen was hidden again behind the curtain of the cloak.

Although Amaya wanted to smirk for her cleverness, she directed a glare at Yusuke before she jumped over him and sunk into his shadow. Amaya reappeared behind him again when he had turned around to face the spot she had disappeared. This time, she was wielding her katana.

Yusuke cried out more out of surprise than pain as the wound his opponent's gave him felt like a red hot whip across his back. Ignoring the pain, Yusuke deftly twisted his body around to face Sparta's team captain with his hand pointed out in the all-too-familiar shape of a gun.

Amaya saw the point of Yusuke's finger glow blue and wasted no more time as she plunged her katana blade into his outstretched arm in hope that it would stop his coming attack.

However it didn't.

"Spirit GUUN!!" Yusuke forced through his gritted teeth and watched as a blue ball of energy ignited from his finger and shot out at his opponent. He watched as his attack enveloped his opponent, tearing at the black fabric of their cloak.

The people in the section of the stadium were not fortunate to escape his attack as it continued to make its way towards them. It crashed into the highest section of the seats and sent that part of the floor crumbling into the one beneath it.

Yusuke slowly stood up straight. His right arm hung limply at his side. Crimson blood from where the katana blade had pierced deeply into the tissue flowed freely down the limb and collected on the tiles. Many spectators would have thought he had won the match, but the look of disbelief on Yusuke Uremeshi's face told a different tale. He stared at the frayed, smoking black cloak that lay just a few yards away from him as if something were very amiss.

Then, a sharp cry went up from the audience as the cloak suddenly looked like it was lifted by the hood and filled out as if someone had merely been hiding in it.

_Or in the shadow_ underneath _the cloak_, Hiei thought as he shifted ever so slightly from his position against the wall.

"Oh _man_," Yusuke muttered worriedly as he watched a pair of blood red and black flecked eyes glint back into his pain-filled eyes.

Amaya lifted her hand and lazily wafted away the smoke rising off of her shoulder. "That happened to be my favorite cloak, Uremeshi," she coldly told him. Her bi-colored eyes traveled down towards his bloodied arm and down towards the ground until it rested on her katana lying directly in between them. Amaya started towards her weapon, but Yusuke put all his strength to lifting up his injured arm and pointing it to his opponent with his free hand grasping tight around his wrist.

"Hey, I'm not down for the count yet," Yusuke told them with a weary grin.

Amaya smirked under the hood. "Don't worry, you will be soon," she whispered and suddenly made a dash towards her weapon. As soon as she had reached it and picked it up from the ground, the crowd gasped warningly, but Amaya was too late. As she stood back up, Yusuke's hard fist connected with the left side of her face. She flew off to the side and skidded roughly across the ring until her head was hanging off the edge and she was looking at Touya's worried face from upside down.

"He's right after you!" he yelled and pointed above her.

Amaya gripped her katana handle and jumped onto her feet. As she gained her footing, she was met by the shining blue point of Yusuke Uremeshi's finger tip. "_Shimotta_," Amaya whispered before she quickly crossed her arms over her face and neck.

"SPIRIT GUUUN!!" the gelled teen screamed for the second time. The huge blast, which happened at very close range, caused him to fly back by the force to the other side of the ring and land like a rag doll on the broken tiles. Yusuke swiftly covered his head and closed his eyes as debris, a wind aftereffect, and smoke flew above and past him. They filled the stadium and for a time, no one could even see their own hand in front of their face. Screams and shouts of alarm were also laid thick in this confusing atmosphere, but somehow over all the chaos, Koto's voice was heard pleading to the audience to calm down.

Then slowly, everything drifted silent and clear, and the sight before everyone's eyes in the fighting ring was a surprising sight to see.

All eyes were on the kneeling slender figure standing on the edge of the ring opposite of Yusuke Uremeshi, whose wide chocolate brown eyes were filled with disbelief. Everyone was as transfixed as Yusuke to some degree. Down where the other two members of his team were standing, Hiei's glare had turned both calculating and confused as he took in this form Amaya was in.

He had never seen this form before in the time that he had known her, as Nightfire or as Amaya Toshi. Her shoulder-length hair was still jet black, but there was multiple red streaks going through the mess that lay on either side of her dirt-smudged face like a pair of curtains. Her eyes were also different. However, they felt more familiar. They were not dark brown, but blood red with black flecks in the irises.

Hiei shook off the familiarity of their eyes and returned his attention back to the match.

Yusuke's breath came out heavily labored as he warily watched his opponent slowly rise to their feet. They were definitely female, and she now glared at Yusuke with her blood red and black-flecked eyes as she too panted, yet only as if she had run a mile whereas Yusuke felt like he had just been through World War II and barely had survived.

Billows of soft grey smoke rose from her frazzled-looking body, which, without the cloak, was now seen by everyone. Yusuke noticed that her left hand was wrapped tightly around an open wound on her upper right arm, and also, he once again noticed the silver necklace from before hanging loosely around his opponent's neck.

"Who are you?" Yusuke demanded. His loud voice echoed hauntingly throughout the otherwise silent stadium.

Amaya blew a strand of her hair away from her face and smirked at Yusuke. She removed her left hand from her bleeding arm and spread out her arms, palms up. Twin fire balls erupted from her hands, illuminating her eyes. "I am the new and _improved_ Nightfire!" she declared.

At first, the silence of fear hung heavily over the audience like a curtain, but as if someone had pulled the silence back, every blood thirsty demon in the stadium burst into frantic cheering for who they assumed must be an apprentice of the real Nightfire.

Yusuke Uremeshi, however, took quite a different perspective upon hearing those words. A look of deep hatred settled upon his facial features, and he clenched both his fists together. "What did you do to Amaya?!" he shouted. His question immediately replaced the cheering with silent confusion.

For a moment that was too quick for anyone but Touya and Hiei to see, a look of surprise entered Yusuke's opponent's face, but it soon turned stoic. "Who is this Amaya?" she hissed. Yet without waiting for Yusuke to reply, she lobbed one of the fire orbs she held towards him.

* * *

Kurama appeared next to Hiei and joined him in leaning against the wall. The taller team mate noticed that his shorter teammate was ever so slightly hunched from an attack earlier to his abdomen but said not a word about it as he began to watch Yusuke dodge the fireballs being sent his way and counterattack with the "new and improved Nightfire".

After a while, Kurama inclined his head an inch towards Hiei and asked out loud, "Would this be a form that she never told us about?"

Hiei's crimson red eyes slid to Kurama for a second before returning to the match. Yusuke was starting to become very weary and had barely enough time to dodge another fireball. "Hn, took you long enough to figure her out, Kurama. That's not like you." Hiei felt the look Kurama was giving him, but continued, "And this form isn't hers."

Kurama looked back at the match and finally noticed the silver necklace around Amaya's neck. "So I take it that Yusuke is aware of this necklace also." This wasn't a question, but Hiei nodded anyways. "The detective has lost too much energy with that last major attack," he observed.

Kurama agreed. A shadow crossed over his face, however. "But I do not believe that was going to be his last attack," he remarked as they both watch Yusuke knock the wind out of Amaya by jabbing her sharply in her abdomen. They watched him shape the hand of his injured arm into a gun as Amaya struggled to regain her breath.

* * *

_Here goes nothing_, Yusuke thought as he pointed his brightly glowing finger at his opponent. "Spirit Gun!"

Amaya saw the blast coming and first dropped onto all fours before falling flat on her stomach. From there, she quickly rolled out of the way of the attack. The powerful blast shot towards the ceiling and exploded, making a whole new hole for the stadium. As Amaya got onto her feet, she noticed the screams of the audience as the stadium shook with the falling pieces of ceiling coming down on them. Amaya looked up and also saw major pieces of concrete heading for her. With her psychic powers, Amaya used them to psychically stop the concrete from squishing her and directed them to where Yusuke stood.

Koto the fox referee stood at the very edge of the fighting ring in between Yusuke Uremeshi and his opponent and watched as the human teenager jump over every piece of concrete "Nightfire" threw. When Koto noticed that Yusuke had stopped jumping like a monkey after a time, she snapped her head towards his opponent and her amber eyes widened in fear as she gazed upon horrifically familiar black eyes staring down at Yusuke Uremeshi.

Like a repeat of her match with Eyeknife, the eyes of the self-proclaimed Nightfire were completely glowing black.

"_Shimotta!_" Yusuke cursed underneath his breath as he struggled against the mighty wind that was being created from his opponent's rising spirit energy. With an earth shattering bang that nearly startled Yusuke from concentrating on staying in the ring, the shadows all over the stadium leaped out and flew towards the ring, creating the familiar huge black-domed barrier once more with the two combatants and Koto inside.


	55. Chapter 55

Outside the dome, where what was left of Team Uremeshi was situated, a purple glow could be seen through Hiei's white bandana.

Kurama slightly inclined his head towards his friend, but never took his emerald green eyes away from the dome. "Can you sense anything?" he murmured.

The glow disappeared and a black scowl appeared across Hiei's face. "Nothing; just like the last time. She'll be much drained after this stunt," he muttered, his tone a mixture of anger and an underlying concern.

"There's only one way Yusuke can counter this, but he'll also be drained or most likely be completely wiped out of energy," Kurama said.

Hiei closed his eyes and rested the back of his head on the concrete wall he and Kurama still leaned upon. "Hn. But will the detective realize that option before she does?"

* * *

Back inside the shadow dome Amaya had created, she was at the moment just toying with Yusuke; baiting him with quiet insults or getting in a few cheap shots. She was normally above things such as these, but her deep demonic instinct for recklessness like a victorious warrior sifting in bloody euphoria rose within her.

This was her mistake.

She had decided at the last moment that her play time was over since she was becoming exhausted with trying to maintain the barrier. She found her katana near Koto, who looked like she was trying her best not to have a nervous breakdown, and Amaya slowly and quietly as possible crept towards Yusuke. Amaya gripped the hilt of her katana with both hands and held it out in front of her. As she reached him from behind, she raised her katana high over her head and brought it down.

However, Yusuke heard the high-pitched whistle sound her blade made as it cut through the air. He spun around in time to deftly catch the sharp blade with his palms, inches away from his head. Yusuke managed to smirk up at the shocked look across his opponent's face before he lifted his right leg and kicked her hard in the abdomen, once again knocking the breath out of her.

Amaya gasped and coughed, spitting out blood that lightly sprayed Yusuke's face, and she let her katana go as she hazardously stumbled back, clutching her stomach. It was so hard to breathe. It felt like a cold hand had a grip around her lungs. She felt like something had died within her stomach. Amaya fell onto her knees, bent over, and threw up blood.

As she was preoccupied at that moment, Amaya was vaguely aware that Yusuke Uremeshi's spirit energy was skyrocketing. The teenage Spirit Detective was standing tall with both fists thrust outwards from his body. A strong blue glow was being emitted from his entire body, cutting through the stale darkness that had previously been surrounding him. As his spirit energy level reached its peak, Yusuke shouted, "Spirit Wave!" and from every inch of his body, bullets like those from his Spirit Gun shot out everywhere. The bullets were powerful enough that they shattered the dome Amaya had created, for she couldn't keep it up while at the same time be bombarded by Yusuke's attack.

The audience covered their eyes from the bright blue light that shattered the shadow dome, and they all cried out in alarm as bullets from within the dome flew out from the ring and into various parts of the stands. Clouds of smoke rose throughout the building, obscuring everyone's vision for a moment or two. As the smoke cleared up, those who were fortunate enough to live through the onslaught returned their attention to the fighting ring, which was now a little more than rubble.

Yusuke was still alive, but barely, for even the lowest leveled demon could sense that the last attack used up all his spirit energy. He was now running on his precious life energy. Off to the far left side of Yusuke, Koto the referee still miraculously lived as well. She was stuck underneath a pile of fallen ceiling concrete and seemed to be having some trouble getting out while at the same time throwing her frantic commentary into the mike at the same time.

Hiei, seeing Yusuke still barely alive and standing, immediately pushed himself off of the concrete wall when he didn't spot Amaya from where he was. Heart beat racing, Hiei swiftly jumped onto the concrete wall behind to get a better look at the rubble Yusuke now leaned on. Hiei finally spotted Amaya with the lower half of her body stuck underneath a large slab of concrete near the end of the rubble. She was alive, for Hiei could see the look of determination across her face as she struggled to extract herself from her predicament.

With another grunt, Amaya put her strength into her arms and pushed up the concrete. It moved ever so slightly, but it was enough for her to slip out from underneath it. Amaya rolled over and used the support of the same concrete slab to help her onto her feet. She slowly turned around and faced Yusuke, whose chocolate brown eyes held disbelief while his smirk told a different story.

"Ya won't let up, huh?" he called to her.

Amaya smirked also, but it was more like a grimace to her. She believed that she had at least two broken ribs, and the pain her left ankle wasn't making her feel better. "Not as much as you," she replied.

They slowly edged towards each other. The eyes of the crowd were nothing to them now. "I'm completely drained," Amaya stated bluntly as they stopped in front of each other with at least a few yards of space in between.

Yusuke nodded slightly and winced. "Yeah," he panted. "Same goes for me."

Amaya cocked her head in a challenging gesture. "Well what do you propose we do about this?" she asked, although she already knew the answer.

Yusuke grinned. "An all-out brawl?"

"You read my mind."

Everyone left in the stadium watched as the two opponents got into offensive positions in front of each other. They all knew that there would be no more flashy powers shown. This was now going to be a fight of original raw power. Hit after hit, each of the opponents took, but unlike the match Yusuke shared with Chu back in the Dark Tournament, Amaya was the better at dodging Yusuke's oncoming fists. There were no knives making the boundaries of life of death. What was left of the fighting ring was their boundary.

Yusuke swung high and watched as his opponent leaned back to avoid his broad arm, but as she leaned forward again, he swung back his arm. His hard elbow crashed with the side of his opponent's face, sending them flying off to the side. Again, the silver necklace they wore around her neck winked and taunted him. Something in Yusuke's head clicked. What is that necklace was her power source? Nothing in the rules forbids a fighter from using items such as power enhancers.

Making up his mind, Yusuke ran towards his opponent.

Amaya came to a rough stop face down on the ground and groaned. She coughed, hearing the soft splattering of her blood hitting the broken tiles. Rolling onto her side, Amaya lifted up the upper half of her body and looked around for Yusuke. Her eyes widened as he came charging towards her with a look of utter determination and calculation on his face. Amaya managed to conjure a very feeble orb of flames, but she was too late to stop what happened next.

Yusuke jumped high enough to avoid the weak attack his opponent threw at him, and as he soared over the other team captain, he stretched out his uninjured left arm and ripped the necklace away from its owner. Yusuke's injured arm, unable to give him a good cushioned landing, gave way as the palm of his hand touched the ground. He crumpled onto the floor, clutching the necklace close to his body just as the crowd gasped.

* * *

High away in safety from the fighting going down below in his private box, the toddler ruler of Spirit World, Koenma Daioh's jaw dropped and his usual squinted-looking eyes widened to its full capacity. His small blue pacifier fell onto the large wooden desk he sat behind with a soft _thunk_. His chubby hands slowly curled up tight into fists and soon, a look of pure rage accompanied by a bright red shine flew into his face.

"SHE'S IN SOOO MUCH TROUBLE FOR THISSS!!" he screamed at the top of his lungs as he pounded his fists repeatedly on the desk. He grabbed the tea cup sitting on his desk and threw it at the window in front of him, shattering the glass.

* * *

The murmurs, softly at first, quickly grew into a cacophony of noise that vibrated throughout the ruined stadium. Yusuke slowly opened his eyes and groaned. He had suspected something would happen once he had the necklace in his possession, but as he shakily got to his feet and looked at him opponent, he never thought he would lock eyes with a pair of familiar dark brown eyes in this tournament.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this match has brought on surprise after surprise, and it's still not stopping here!" Koto, who had miraculously gotten herself out from under the chunk of ceiling that had fallen on her, was now standing on top of a pile of rubble. The crowd crowed in delight in response. "Yusuke Uremeshi has found the power source of Sparta's team captain and her _true_ identity!"

Koto's words were not lost on Yusuke as he stared at Amaya with wide eyes. "H-How?" he managed to splutter. His eyes looked like they would explode.

"_Gomen nasai_." With the last of her strength, Amaya launched herself at Yusuke. She disappeared in front of his eyes, and then reappeared behind him. Swinging her fist back, she brought it hard across the back of his head, knocking him out instantly.

Koto blinked for a good two minutes before screaming into her mike, "We have a _winner!!_" As these words sunk into their heads, the demons still alive roared and cheered throughout the stadium.

Amaya slowly turned to the private box high above with the broken window. Even with the great distance between them, Amaya could see the rage of fire burning like the flames of Hell in Koenma's eyes. She would get it later, of course she would, but as she blew him a mock-kiss and passed out from blood loss and exhaustion, she didn't give a damn.


	56. Chapter 56

To the exhilarated demons, Amaya Toshi (the so-called "new Nightfire") was the most victorious demon in the Makai. Defeating Yusuke Uremeshi's team, more importantly Yusuke Uremeshi, himself, was an incredible feat that brought her immediate fear and admiration. None of these demons outside of Team Uremeshi knew that this Amaya Toshi was actually the _real_ Nightfire but Jin and Touya.

The two elemental masters parted with Amaya on good terms. They held her promise to visit them once her desires were complete, and she held their promises of fighting a final and memorable fight against her when they were stronger.

The boys were not really angry at Amaya. On the contrary, Yusuke took the fight as a reason to become stronger. Kuwabara and Kurama both thought that the whole plan and eventual victory over their team was impressive.

Hiei was slightly another story. Underneath his aloof and calm exterior, Amaya knew well that he was still mad about the whole thing. What Kurama had told her, when they were alone together and she lay on a white cot of the medical tent, was that she had actually made Hiei worry about her; Hiei was slightly resentful about it. But despite any resent or anger Hiei had towards Amaya, she knew as she had slipped in and out of consciousness that he had been by her side the whole time she had laid on that cot.

Though she may seem to be the victor, her troubles and punishment were just beginning thanks to a certain Spirit World prince.

Once Amaya was healed enough to get out of the cot and walk (which took a maximum of two days, while Yusuke was taking longer), Koenma ordered her to appear in his office immediately.

Amaya shadowed to his office and slowly made her way in front of Koenma's great desk under the toddler's angry, thin slits of his eyes. She made a good show of acting like she was taking her sweet time to get there; but actually, she was making sure he didn't know she was not fully healed and that her right ankle was still hurting. Yet, Koenma didn't care about her injuries. He apparently didn't care that he was shouting her eardrums to the point of popping when she finally stood in front of him.

"IRRESPONSIBLE!! I FINALLY PUT MY TRUST IN YOU, AND YOU BLOW IT UP IN MY FACE!!" Koenma was standing on his great desk by now, and was shouting down at the silent hooded figure in front of him. "I WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS BEHAVIOR! YOU WILL GET THE SAME PUNISHMENT HIEI RECEIVED THAT ONE TIME HE DECIDED TO TURN MY FAVORITE BINKY INTO A PRACTICE TARGET!!"

Underneath her hood, Amaya's dark brown eyes rose in curiosity. _Interesting_, she thought as she let Koenma continue to rant.

--Seeing the _baka_ toddler's face when he found out was worth it-- a familiar voice said in the back of her mind.

--Then I'm sure whatever punishment you got back then will make my so-called misdeeds worth it-- Amaya replied smoothly.

"-PROBATION AND GUARD DUTY!!" Koenma screamed and slammed his foot down on the desk, making it shake.

Amaya turned her full attention to the angry toddler. "Excuse me?" she replied.

Koenma took a few deeps breaths, and they seemed to have calmed him down. He stood up straight and placed his hands behind his back. He gave Amaya a look filled with deep loathing. "I have decided to fit your crime that you will be on probation and guard duty until I see fit to relieve you from the latter, but you will NEVER be relieved from probation.

"All rules as we had first agreed to still stand, which means you still cannot leave Spirit World unless the Spirit Detective or I say so. However, _now_, you are required to wear a tracking device at ALL TIMES."

Amaya cocked her head to the side. "And what if I happen to find out how to take off this tracking device in, say, two days? Will you let me off guard duty?" she suggested coyly.

Koenma gave her a stony look. "No. If you do manage to take it off, not only will you be immediately thrown into Spirit World jail, but we will simply put on another, more painful, tracking device."

Amaya gave him a deadly, resentful look, which she knew he had seen by the fleeting look of fear that appeared on his face. "And what, per say, does this guard duty entail?" she demanded angrily.

Koenma smirked. "Much worse than what Hiei had to do," he replied smugly. "Every day, from six o'clock in the morning to midnight human time, you will be brought down to the lower dungeons to guard potentially dangerous lower level demons," he explained.

_Shimotta_.

* * *

"_Shimotta_," Amaya cursed for the millionth time since starting her guard duties. It was more like babysitting for stupid toddlers (like Koenma) down in the lowest and worse dungeons Koenma had. The dungeon did not get any sunlight at all. A feeble bulb of light swinging at the center of the dungeon was the only light source anyone could go by. The clammy, malodorous air made Amaya want to throw up; something that happens regularly every morning now.

Amaya sat in a tilted wooden chair leaning against the only dry spot of the wall behind a small oak desk with her hood on and her eyes closed, trying to regain some lost sleep. She had also been feeling more tired than usual lately. An archway to her left led up to the locked door of this dungeon. The first time Amaya had entered this dungeon, the ogre that had accompanied her had quickly bolted the door on her. When she had demanded he opened it, he replied fearfully that it was on Koenma's orders that the door be locked with her inside to make sure she did her duties.

"Well that _baka_ child would know I was doing this since he placed _this_ on me!" Amaya hissed and pulled at the thin black collar around her throat. It was the same as the last one they first put on her, complete with inner spikes that would be ready to pierce her neck any moment, but this time the lock was so confusing and intricate that it would take a few weeks to break the detecting device since she was still not fully healed yet.

Amaya leaped off the chair and drew out her katana that Hiei was so thoughtful to bring to her the first day of her guard duty.

_Saved me from becoming lazy and listless_, he had told her with a smirk. _Besides, the toddler never said we couldn't _kill_ any of them_, he added before he disappeared.

Amaya smiled slightly at the pale reflection of her face in her katana blade. _Never said we couldn't_, indeed. Amaya waltzed in between the cages of the dungeon, trying to pick out the potentially strongest demon of the bunch. To her slight disappointment, none even _looked_ up to the challenge of entertaining her.

From a far corner, Amaya heard a hissing sound that immediately attracted her attention. She was in front of the cage in a moment. The red eye of what looked like a half-snake demon glinted menacingly at her.

"Helloo cutie," it hissed. "Looking for a bit of an entertainment, yesss?"

Amaya's red and black eyes glinted back at the demon sadistically. A small curve of a smile appeared across her face. "Why, I have been, but now I've found it," she replied softly. Amaya was about to unlock his cage, but a heavy hand from behind forced her to turn around and meet familiar crimson red eyes.

"Just in time," Amaya remarked as she sheathed her katana. She looked at him with dark brown eyes.

Hiei smirked at her. "Hasn't been a week since you've started, and now you're looking to kill them all, _onna_?" he mocked her as they slowly began to walk back towards the oak desk. On it, Amaya spotted a tray of food.

Hiei saw what she was looking at, and said nonchalantly, "Kurama thought you needed something to eat or else no one would feed you."

Amaya smiled wryly and replied, "How thoughtful of that fox. Such the gentleman." She turned to Hiei and surprised him by skimming his rough cheek with her lips. "Thank you for taking some of your precious time to bring this to me, _oni_," she told him before plopping down on the chair and began eating.

Hiei leaned against the desk with his whole back in front of her and his arms crossed over his chest, trying to hide the small blush that tinted his usually pale cheeks.

Silence between them reigned as Amaya ate and Hiei quietly tried to regain his calm composure. He finally turned around to see if Amaya was done, and observed something peculiar about her food. He noticed that she ate only the miso soup and rice, and did not touch the meat at all, which was especially strange for a demon.

Amaya looked up and noticed the look of confusion on Hiei's face and read his mind. She placed her empty bowl of rice on the tray next to the empty bowl that used to have miso soup and said, "Meat seems to not have any appeal to me anymore."

Hiei silently nodded and picked up the tray. He turned to leave, but a hand on his back made him turn back around to Amaya with a questioning look.

Amaya smiled nervously. "Will you . . ask Kurama to give me another bowl of soup and rice?" she asked attentively.

Hiei suppressed a smirk and nodded again and was gone.

Amaya leaned back on her chair and sighed heavily. Why was she acting out of character? Why did her body seem to be acting differently? were some of the questions running through her mind. Lately, every time she looked into her bathroom mirror, she noticed that her torso was growing out a little. She looked like she was gaining weight and that her breasts were becoming slightly bigger, and it frustrated her greatly, especially since she couldn't exercise it off thanks to Koenma.

In no time at all, Hiei was back with her food, and he watched with perplexity as she ate it all with the kind of gusto to rival the humans, Kuwabara and Yusuke.

"When was the last time you ate?" Hiei asked her when she was finished.

Amaya looked up at him. "Why does it matter?" she retorted defensively.

Hiei was about to scowl at her, but suddenly in the distance above them, alarm bells were going off. Hiei disappeared in front of Amaya. It took a minute before she heard his voice inside the archway.

"Are you coming or what?"

Amaya leaped out of the chair and shadowed to Koenma's office. When she made her appearance known, a split second before Hiei made his, Koenma gave her a look that clearly said 'what the hell are you doing in here for?'

"I thought you would need my help," Amaya replied to his unvoiced question as she stood next to Kurama. Hiei appeared next to her in a flash.

Pointedly ignoring her, Koenma took his remote controller and directed it at the huge screen to his right. He clicked it on, and the screen showed a scene from the Human World.

"That's Yusuke's high school," Kurama said out loud.

Along with everyone in the room, he noticed the dark clouds in the background with lightning flashing and wind blowing so harshly that several students had to hold onto various objects for dear life. As they watched for a few more minutes, they saw the camera closing in on what looked like a black hole on one side of the school. Coming out from that hole was a horde of vicious-looking demons.

"All around the C and B class level," Koenma told them. "Yusuke just informed me about all this ten minutes ago. It seems that these demons found a rip in the barrier between Makai and the Human World."

Amaya walked closer to the screen and told Koenma to close in on the hole. Although he didn't want to, Koenma obliged. Amaya shook her head at the hole. "This can't be a rip. A rip in a barrier actually _looks_ like a rip." She turned her back on the screen and gave Koenma a serious look.

"Someone must know how to open a hole into the Human World," she concluded with an ominous tone. "And it must be a very _powerful_ someone."

Koenma nodded and turned to Kurama and Hiei. "I am sending you to Yusuke's school to help clear out the demons. I want you both to contain this mess in the premises of the school. No mess ups!" he ordered them before opening a portal beside his desk.

"Wait a minute, what am I supposed to do? Just sit and wait for them to come back?" Amaya interrupted and strode towards Koenma.

"She's right, sir," Kurama interjected before either of them got geared up for another match of wills. "We need all the reinforcements we can handle to keep all the students and teachers safe while trying to keep this from the eyes of the public," he reminded the seething toddler.

"And she's wearing that tracking device so we won't lose her," Hiei also added, adding "_baka_" under his breath when he saw the deadly look Amaya gave him.

That seemed to have calmed Koenma down. He turned a stern gaze at Amaya and wiggled a finger at her. "I don't want you to try _anything_ while you're there!" he shouted down at her.

Amaya walked towards the portal with Kurama and Hiei behind her.

"Oh, I will. Just not that _anything_ you're thinking of."


	57. Chapter 57

When Kurama, Hiei, and Amaya arrived at the front gates of Yusuke's school, they were all slightly disgusted at how much carnage had been made by the renegade demons. Everywhere, the lower level demons ran, causing damage to both school and its students and teachers. Kurama was particularly disturbed by human corpses lying across the lawn in front of them. He immediately took control of their small group.

"We must find Yusuke and Kuwabara as quickly as possible," he told Hiei and Amaya as he began to lead them into the eye of the storm.

"I see Uremeshi!" Amaya yelled over the din as they fought through a demon-infested courtyard. She sliced off the head of the pixie demon she held then pointed towards the other side where Yusuke Uremeshi had appeared in front of another hallway.

At that moment, the teen in question had seen their small group. He waved and quickly made his way across the courtyard.

"Where's Kuwabara?" Kurama shouted as he used his Rose Whip against the remainder of the dwindling demons in the courtyard.

"I saw Kuwabara and his gang go back to the gym to save some trapped students!" Yusuke replied as he punched out another demon. He turned to the hallway they had just come through. Over his shoulder he said, "C'mon you guys, I'll show you the way." Yusuke led them out of the courtyard. They passed many students and teachers along the way. Some were covered in blood and bruises, and all were running for their lives. When the four had finally reached the gym, it was to discover that the building was on fire.

"Oh man," Yusuke said worriedly. Thoughts of the worst ran through his head. He cupped his hands around his mouth. "Kuwabara! Kuwabara!" Yusuke cried towards the building.

"Yusuke turn around!"

The human turned his back on the burning gym at Amaya's order. His eyes widened at the dozen or more demons that were now surrounding them in a semi-circle. All four of them got into fighting positions. As Yusuke was about to signal to attack, familiar-sounding battle cries came from behind the demons. Before they knew it, all the demons were dead and Kuwabara and his three friends were standing proudly in front of the Yusuke, Kurama, Hiei, and Amaya.

"Kuwabara!" Yusuke shouted happily as his friend walked up to him with his gang in tow.

"Where are all these demons coming from?!" Kuwabara cried.

Kurama stepped forward and pointed towards the left side of the school. "Over there through a portal connecting the Human World and Makai," he answered solemnly. "Kuwabara, you and your friends must go to that portal and close it." He turned to Amaya and Hiei. "You two must make a sweep over the whole school and kill any demons you find. Yusuke and I have the task of 

finding and rescuing any humans still on the school's grounds," he ordered.

The group began to split up. Amaya and Hiei disappeared into the main building and ran through the maze of hallways, taking down any demon they came across.

--At least we didn't get stuck with the dirty work-- Amaya told Hiei as she jumped in the air. She sailed over the head of a particularly tall demon at the same time Hiei sliced through it. Bright yellow blood splattered on the floor and walls. Amaya landed cleanly back on the ground and began to run again with her companion.

Running beside her, Hiei smirked before he skidded to a stop in front of a door with the word "Kitchen" above it. Amaya appeared next to him and they listened to the commotion going on behind the door. Amaya looked at Hiei and caught his eye. Together, they kicked down the door and were met with frightened shrieks.

"Want to make this task more interesting?" Amaya asked as she used her telepathic powers to lock all the doors in the kitchen.

Hiei held his katana out in front of him and surveyed the terrified demons. He seemed to catch on to what Amaya was thinking. "Whoever kills the most demons without damaging anything?"

Amaya smirked. "Nice to know we're on the same page, _koibito_," she whispered before they disappeared before the demons' eyes.

A few hours later after Kuwabara had successfully closed the portal, Hiei and Amaya ran outside the main school building. They spotted Kurama and Yusuke at the main gates helping the last of the students and teachers out of the school. As the two demons neared, they could hear Yusuke's frantic shouts drifting towards them.

"I can't find her, Kurama! We hadn't found her anywhere when we were back in the building!" Yusuke was shouting.

"What's the matter, Uremeshi?" Kuwabara gasped as he and his gang joined the group. All were covered in demon blood, and everyone was beginning to tire.

Yusuke turned to his best friend. "Keiko! We don't know where Keiko is!" he practically screamed. He felt a slender hand grab his arm roughly and turned him around to face the school building.

"She's up there!" Amaya said and pointed towards the roof.

Everyone followed her hand, and their eyes widened in horror when they recognized Keiko Yukimura being held hostage with a tall dark demon on the roof.

"We have to get there right now!" Yusuke cried angrily. Yet, he noticed that Amaya's hand was not holding him anymore and looked down, but only to find that she had disappeared.

Kurama had noticed the same thing. "Where did Amaya go?"

Hiei's eyes widened and he spun around, but he did not see her. "_Baka onna_," he murmured before he disappeared into the school with the rest right behind him.

* * *

Amaya ran into the nearest shadow and teleported to the roof. She emerged behind the shadow of the open roof door and looked warily around with her katana raised. Lying close to the edge of the roof in front of Amaya was Keiko. She was in such a bad condition, as if her captor had tortured her. The human girl looked like she was just barely breathing with her eyes were halfway shut. Fresh blood ran from her head down the side of her face that was facing up.

Keiko's pained eyes slowly looked up at Amaya as she walked towards her. "B-Behind," she croaked.

Amaya spun around just in time to jump away from a powerful bolt of lightning. She watched from the corner of her blood red eyes as it sailed over Keiko and was absorbed into the dark clouds above. Amaya straightened up and faced her opponent, katana raised in front of her.

She could sense that he was a demon because of the demonic energy coming from his tall form that leaned casually on the now locked door. Yet like many higher level demons, he had a disguise of a human. He wore all black and wore more leather than skin. A long coat covered most of him. Wide leather belts snaked around his arms, the knee-length boots he wore, over his torso, around his shoulders, and buckled over the high collar that made his head look small. His long, sleek black hair nearly covered the gold earrings that crusted both his ears. Among the bangs, his steely grey eyes pierced into Amaya's red orbs even as a slow smile spread across his pale face. He lifted his equally pale hands and clapped for her.

"Bravo, Nightfire," his deep, toneless voice called across the roof. "Not many can dodge that particular attack in time."

Amaya hated his tone. It was very unlike Hiei's monotone. In Hiei's voice, Amaya could always feel something deeper running underneath it, but this character's tone just sounded dead, flat. "Who are you?" she demanded as she got into a fighting stance.

The figure pushed off the door and slowly walked closer towards her. "I believe you know me slightly already. You killed a minion of mine a few months ago while retrieving the necklace of Henka."

Amaya's eyes widened. "Kisei," she muttered as they began to slowly circle each other.

Kisei smirked in satisfaction, but none of it came to his dead tone. "Correct." His grey eyes looked Amaya's cloaked figure up and down as if his eyes were x-rays. "I have longed to face the infamous Nightfire that had the Makai nearly at her feet," he remarked. They now stopped with 

Kisei's back to Keiko and Amaya's to the door.

Amaya grit her teeth and growled, "I'll make sure you _pay _for that comment." Amaya disappeared before Kisei's eyes, and in a flash of thunder, he was stumbling forward. Behind him, Amaya stood in front of Keiko bent low with her katana at her side. Her eyes widened as Kisei take a few more steps away from them, straighten up, and then slowly turn to her with a sadistic smile on his face despite the fact that he had a deep cut on his back. Blood dripped in the ground under him, but he showed no pain. They began to slowly circle each other again until they were back in the same positions before Amaya had attacked.

Kisei held out his hands in front of him. He began to conjure fire orbs. "I think it's my turn now. You're part fire demon, no?" He raised one of the fire orbs he held before he began to assault her with his attacks.

Amaya dodged them all quickly as she simultaneously tried to near him. She couldn't send any of her most powerful attacks until Keiko was safely out of the way. _Damn weak, defenseless humans!_ Amaya thought scathingly as she fought to suppress a scream as her arm was hit by a fire orb. She used her powers to kill the flame, but the wound was bleeding heavily. Disappearing before Kisei's eyes, Amaya reappeared before Keiko. Sheathing her weapon, Amaya began to channel her shadow powers. Her eyes changed to now having flecks of obsidian.

"Shadow bonds!" Amaya cried at the same time Kisei launched a powerful gust of wind. As the shadows on the roof flew and wrapped around Kisei, the gust of wind hit Amaya directly on her chest, sending her flying off the edge.

For a long moment, there was silence except for the crack of thunder above. Kisei shook his head and smirked. "Too bad, she was quite lovely," he murmured to himself as he tried to remove the bonds holding him. However, they didn't relent, and even his thick patience was starting to wear. "Why aren't these disintegrating?"

"Because I am not dead."

Kisei slowly turned towards the feminine voice. His smirk grew as his steel grey eyes landed on the slender figure standing on the roof edge behind Keiko. "I would bow to you, but as you see, I appear to be all tied up," he commented.

Amaya slowly unsheathed her katana and pointed it at Kisei, rage in her eyes. "You will die," she cried and flew at him. His calm smirk played her and made her anger grow as he continued to dodge her blade. Unbeknownst to her, Kisei was maneuvering in a way so that her blade began to cut up the shadow bonds holding him until after one last thrust, Kisei threw the remaining bonds off of him and gave Amaya a blow to the stomach with his fist.

Amaya gasped and coughed up blood as unimaginable pain coursed through her as quickly as poison. She fell harshly upon the cemented ground and clutched her abdomen. Her katana clattered right next to her. Too blinded by her pain, Amaya barely noticed that Kisei now crouched over her, running one of his hands over her pain-wracked body.

"Such a delight," he whispered as he licked his lips. "You would make such a valuable commodity."

As he wrapped his hand around her neck, Amaya slowly reached for her katana. She gasped as he suddenly lifted her up by the throat. Being so short, her legs dangled high over the ground. Amaya gripped the leather belts on his arm with her other hand.

Kisei was acutely aware that loud footsteps were coming closer towards the roof behind the door. Time was almost up. He lowered his face closer to Amaya. "We will meet again, and next time, I will have you," he told her. The dead tone was gone, replaced by hunger.

Amaya's rage ignited. She watched with satisfaction as Kisei's grey eyes widened and clouded with pain as she twisted her katana deeper into his gut. "_Yaro_," Amaya spat before Kisei flung her away from him. She slid to a halt in front of the door. She elevated the upper half of her body and looked on as Kisei slowly walked backwards. He stepped over Keiko's unconscious form and stopped just at the edge of the roof. Grabbing the hilt, he ripped out the katana with a single thrust and threw it down in front of Amaya. He smirked, black blood dripped down his chin from his mouth.

"I'll see you soon, kitten," he called before he fell backwards, off the roof.

Amaya jumped to her feet and rushed to the edge. She leaned forward and looked down, but she did not see a sign of Kisei. "_Shimotta_," she cursed just before the door behind her was busted down by Yusuke Uremeshi.

"Keiko!" he cried when he laid eyes on his girlfriend's still form. He immediately rushed over to her and picked her up. He looked up and recognized Amaya's standing figure in front of him. His look turned resentful. "Who did this?" he demanded as the others piled onto the roof.

Amaya slowly turned to face them with a grave face. "A powerful lower S class demon by the name of Kisei," she told them all. Behind her, the black clouds were dissipating. In its place, the sun had just begun to set against the bloody sky.

Kurama nodded and took out his communicator. "Boton, open a portal for us. We're bringing Keiko with us. Tell Koenma to get a bed prepared for her in the Spirit World Hospital," he told the Grim Reaper urgently.

Kuwabara turned to his friends. "Sorry you guys, but you can't come with us," he told them apologetically.

One of them waved his apology away. "It's alright, Kuwabara. We gotta head home anyway. Our parents must be worried sick by now. Oh, and Kuwabara?" he added as his friend began to turn to the portal that had just appeared out of nowhere.

"Yeah?"

"You got a lot of explaining to do when you get back." With a farewell wave, all three teenagers made for the door. When they had disappeared, Kuwabara turned around and walked with Kurama into the portal. Yusuke, carrying Keiko, quickly followed.

Hiei picked up Amaya's bloody katana and walked over to her. He gave it to her silently. As soon as she put her weapon back in its sheath, Hiei took her arm and threw it over around his neck. With his other hand, he wrapped it around her waist and began to slowly help her down to the portal.

Amaya looked up at Hiei and saw a familiar look on his face. "We have danced to this beat before," she told him wearily.

Hiei merely grunted, but they both knew she could sense he was about to berate her for taking on Kisei by herself. But before he could, Amaya forced him to stop walking and made him turn his head towards her gaze.

"You may have changed me in other things, but not this. I will be who I have always been," she said seriously.

Hiei's grip around her waist tightened. "But not at the expense of your own life," he growled.

Amaya tiptoed and kissed him passionately. As Hiei was starting to get deeper into the kiss, she pulled away. Into his ear, she whispered, "I survive."

Hiei didn't reply except by helping her into the portal.


	58. Chapter 58

When Amaya and Hiei arrived in Koenma's office, they found that besides a few ogres running around, it was only them and the child ruler that was in the great office.

Without looking up from the pile of papers on his desk, the child told the two demons that Kurama had informed him of Kisei and that he, Koenma, was working now on finding his location. "In the mean time," Koenma added as he accepted yet another stack of papers from an ogre, "I strongly recommend going to the Spirit World Hospital for a checkup. The other three plus Keiko are already there."

Amaya shook her head as she pulled away from Hiei before walking out of Koenma's office with Hiei in tow. "I do not need to go there," she spat over her shoulder. When she turned her head forward, she immediately stopped in her tracks to keep from bumping into Hiei who had just appeared in front of her.

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest and grunted. "You are wounded in multiple places. You are going," he ordered her threateningly.

Amaya smirked at him as if to say 'make me'. Without a word, she jumped into the nearest shadow and disappeared.

She stepped out of a shadowed corner of her room. She was surprised to be met by a pair of crimson red eyes staring at her from her windowsill. Amaya watched with slightly wide eyes as Hiei slid off the windowsill.

"If you had been healed, you would have been here the exact same time I came through your window," he told her.

Amaya glared at him from across the room. "I can take care of myself," she growled, but when she took a step towards the bathroom door, her legs suddenly gave away from underneath her. Hiei's arms quickly kept her from falling to the floor. In shame, Amaya stayed silent as Hiei picked her up bridal-style and carried her into the bathroom.

He set her on her feet before helping her sit on her sink counter. He opened her cabinet and took out the first aid kit that was inside. After he set that aside, together they began to process of extracting all her weapons from her bloodied clothes. They left the weapons in a pile off to the side on the tiled floor. When they were certain all weapons were gone, Hiei stepped back from Amaya, and in a low voice, told her to take off her clothes so he could clean her wounds.

Amaya cocked her head to the side so that she could see the small blush on Hiei's face that he was trying to hide. She slowly smiled. "What? It's alright for you to take off my clothes when we're making love, but it's not alright to help me take them off just to clean off my wounds?" she lightly teased him. Just as she had expected, Hiei turned his face to her, eyes blazed with irritation.

When Hiei saw that she hadn't been trying to insult him, he relaxed his tense shoulders, grunted, and then began to help her slowly take off her clothes. Her cloak was the first to go. Amaya kicked off her boots as Hiei slid off the torn sleeveless shirt she wore over her head. Saving some dignity for himself, Hiei refused to take off his lover's pants. When all her clothes but her underwear were off, Hiei opened the first aid kit and began to carefully clean her wounds.

From her fight with Kisei, Amaya had been able to sustain minor injuries except for the burn she had received from being hit by a fire orb on her right arm. However, that and many other wounds were healing quickly. When Hiei was finished, he put the first aid kit away. When he turned back to Amaya, he noticed she had her hands placed over her stomach, over a small bump forming. He placed a hand over her hands and looked at her curiously.

"Letting yourself go now that you're no longer a dangerous assassin?" he asked, but his underlying tone was teasing.

Amaya gave him a look before moving her hands away from her stomach. She wrapped them around Hiei's neck. "I'll show you 'no longer dangerous'," she said and pulled him into a kiss. She wrapped her legs around his torso. Hiei responded instantly by pulling her body closer to his as he kissed her back. One of his hands ran through her short hair while the other hand pressed onto the small of her lower back. He allowed her to push away his cloak off his body. It fell unnoticed onto the tiles along with Amaya's already discarded clothes.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a loud rapping on the locked bathroom door.

Amaya and Hiei froze.

"Amaya? Are you in there?" It was Kurama on the other side.

Without moving from her position, Amaya decided to answer him. "What is it?" she demanded, hoping she didn't sound too cross. Kurama _had_ rudely interrupted something important to her and Hiei. "I'm a trifle busy at the moment."

"Oh. Well I was wondering if you knew where Hiei went. Koenma sent me to tell everyone to report to his office right away," Kurama said.

Amaya and Hiei rolled their eyes at each other. It was a wonder to the both of them why Kurama didn't sense Hiei's demonic energy, but it was also to their relief that he couldn't. To the door, Amaya said, "I think he's off meditating somewhere. I'll find him for you, and we'll report to Koenma's immediately," she told him.

"Alright, thank you," Kurama said.

When they heard the door of Amaya's room shut behind the fox demon, Amaya and Hiei sighed deeply before parting from each other. Wordlessly, Hiei helped Amaya down from the sink counter and held onto her until he was sure she could support herself.

"I think you should go now," Amaya suggested. She snapped her fingers and was instantly clothed from head to foot. She turned away from him and began to pick up her weapons.

"I'll wait for you outside," Hiei told her before disappearing into her bedroom.

Amaya smiled slightly before continuing to retrieve her things.

* * *

The rest of the Spirit Detectives were already waiting in Koenma's office with the prince when Amaya and Hiei walked in. When they were all settled, Koenma pulled out his remote controller and clicked on the screen he had lowered after the two demons had come in. The screen showed a map of the entire Makai along with the individual rulers' territories. A red dot blinked close to the end of the map on the left side in Mukuro's territory. They all knew that it was Mukuro's territory that bordered the wall between Makai and Human World.

"That dot is supposedly the location of where Kisei is, according to my sources," Koenma told them.

Kurama pointed to the surrounding area. "That seems like-"

"A very remote part of the Makai? Hn, of course it is. Perfect for any evil being trying to take over all three worlds," Hiei finished for him.

Koenma nodded in agreement. He pressed a button on his remote and a blue curving line appeared on the map, leading to the red dot. "That's the route you'll be taking. Regrettably, you all have to journey there because being so remote, I can't drop you even near the exact location," he said apologetically.

Yusuke gave him an exasperated look. "How long will it take to get there?" he demanded, already feeling impatient.

Koenma placed the remote on his desk before lacing his fingers together in front of him. "I believe it will take a maximum of three to four days to get there," he said slowly. He opened a portal next to his desk. "Your mission is to go to that location and take down Kisei. We don't know what exactly he is planning, but with what happened in Yusuke and Kuwabara's school today, we can assume it will catastrophic." The child prince called Boton in through a speaker.

The Grim Reaper flew into the office through the wall. She jumped off her oar and promptly gave Yusuke a watch.

"Huh? What's this?" Yusuke asked as he put it on.

"It's just like the Spirit Compass I gave you when we first met," Boton told him. "But unlike the first one that found demons through their energy, this one opens up to a holographic map of your route." She bade them all good luck before leaving.

Koenma waved to most of his Spirit Detectives as they entered the portal. Yet when Amaya was the last to go through the portal, Koenma gave her a dark look that she didn't see as she disappeared in blackness.

* * *

The Spirit Detectives and Amaya arrived surrounded by dark forest. Above them, the Makain full red moon hung against the black backdrop.

"Do you think we should stop for tonight?" Yusuke asked the others as the portal disappeared behind them.

The three demons in their group all exchanged looks. Kurama spoke for them all. "I think we should move along. Morning in the Makai will come soon. We can rest in the afternoon," he told the two humans. Hiei and Amaya nodded silently in agreement.

Yusuke shrugged. "Alright, you guys know this place better than Kuwabara and I do." The teen turned around and began leading them using the compass that Boton had given him.

Unlike Human World forests were sounds of living things can be heard everywhere, forests in Makai are as silent as the grave. This was that they journeyed through was no exception. It particularly creeped out Kuwabara.

"Jeez, I can't sense _anything_ alive in this forest!" he exclaimed and shuddered. His whiny voice echoed throughout their surroundings. His companions looked over their shoulders and gave him a look. "What?" Kuwabara asked in confusion.

"_Baka_, it's a good sign that you _don't_ sense anything," Hiei scathingly told him as he walked behind the human, next to Amaya. When he noticed that Amaya had not said a single word since arriving in the forest, he turned his head towards her.

"What?" Amaya asked stiffly as she continued to walk. Or so Hiei had previously thought. He saw what none of others had seen, and that was Amaya was hiding a limp under her flowing cloak.

Next to Kuwabara, Kurama had also noticed something amiss with their female team mate. "I think we should all take a quick rest. We still haven't properly recuperated from the attack in the Human World," he suggested out loud.

Yusuke turned to look at them and nodded. They stopped where they were, making a campfire as well.

Hiei helped Amaya sit down next to a boulder near the campfire. He took a seat close beside her. They both heard some snickering on the other side of the fire where the human boys sat. Picking up a few pebbles, Amaya and Hiei threw them at Kuwabara.

"Oww! Hey!" Kuwabara yelled as the rocks hit him.

Amaya smirked as she slightly leaned on Hiei's arm. Soon, she was fighting the wave of drowsiness. Hiei suddenly shifted so she leaned more on his chest now. She felt his warm breath on her ear. "Rest for a while. I'll wake you when we're ready to leave," he told her softly enough so that the others couldn't hear.

From across the fire, Kurama smiled slightly as he watched Amaya close her eyes and Hiei obscurely wrap his arm around her waist. Because of his keen fox senses, he had heard what Hiei said to Amaya. Kurama turned his head to his right to discover that the two human teenagers had fallen asleep as well. Shaking his red head in wonder, Kurama slowly got to his feet and walked over to Hiei. He took a seat on his friend's other side.

"Hn, what do you want?" Hiei asked, careful not to wake his sleeping lover.

Kurama leaned on the boulder, looking straight into the fire. "Has she told you her feelings for you, yet?" he ventured.

Hiei snorted. He was also looking at the cackling flames. When he felt Amaya move, he froze, waiting until she had settled back down to answer. "We are demons, Kurama. Petty human emotions aren't for us. They'll only get in the way; I've told you this before."

Kurama fixed his emerald eyes on Hiei then. "And yet you fell in love." He saw the look Hiei was giving him and sighed deeply. "I think you should tell her how you truly feel about her," he pressed gently.

Hiei looked away from Kurama and grunted. When Kurama had gone back to his original spot on the other side of the campfire and gone to sleep, Hiei looked down at Amaya's sleeping figure. He pushed away the pieces of hair that were on her face absentmindedly as he watched her sleep.


	59. Chapter 59

Kurama and Hiei were the first to wake up at daybreak. After waking the others, they all took up their journey again. Agreeing ahead of time to take a break when noon arrived, they went with a steady but quick pace with a few complaints from Kuwabara here and there. Hiei took to the branches to scout the path ahead of the rest. Amaya didn't limp anymore, or at least that's what her friends and lover didn't see. Yet just as a precaution, she also stayed on the ground.

After a few hours of silently walking, Hiei informed them that there was another pathway ahead that was leading off to the right.

Yusuke consulted his holographic map. "No, the trail we're following doesn't say that we have to take that path," he told everyone. They continued on walking. When they reached the mentioned pathway and began walking past it, Kuwabara suddenly froze at its entrance.

"You guys wait," he said slowly. "I'm sensing something from this way."

Amaya walked past him. "It's nothing. Just a demon," she dismissed. Yet while her tone was indifferent, deep down her instincts told her that they should avoid going down that road at all costs.

"Yeah Kuwabara," Yusuke said over his shoulder. "The less we come across anything in this forest, the better." But when he did a double take over his shoulder and saw his human friend had still not moved from in front of the pathway, Yusuke signaled a stop to the others. "Kuwabara," he called, now slightly beginning to lose his patience.

Kuwabara held up a hand for silence, his ears straining to hear something coming from down the path. Suddenly, his ears perked up and he quickly turned to his team mates. "I-I hear something!" he yelled. "It sounds like someone is crying for help!"

Amaya rolled her eyes as she listened too. She also heard cries for help. They sounded like they were coming from a female. "For all we know, this could be a demon calling out for help," she said and began to walk away from Kuwabara. "I say leave it to its fate."

Yet Kuwabara was persistent. "No freakin' way! What if it's a human girl that accidentally found her way in the Makai?" he argued.

Kurama looked thoughtful. "Kuwabara has a point there," he told their female companion who seemed determined to keep them going with their right path. "We are close to the border between the two worlds, after all."

That was all Kuwabara needed to hear. He turned towards the path and quickly sprinted down it.

"Aww, jeez. Let's go or else he'll get himself killed," Yusuke sighed before he and Kurama set off after Kuwabara.

Amaya pinched the bridge of her nose in aggravation. She looked up into the trees where she last saw Hiei, but didn't see him.

"Hurry up, _onna_, or are you afraid to go down this path?"

"I am not afraid." Amaya looked down the path and saw Hiei in the trees, staring at her expectantly. "Alright, I'm coming," Amaya conceded and followed him on the ground. When Amaya caught up to the others she saw that they stood before the mouth of a huge cave. Looking around, she also noticed that Kuwabara was not standing with them. Amaya turned to the cave when she heard running coming towards them. "You've got to be kidding me," she muttered as she watched their missing team mate appear out from the cave carrying a body in his arms.

Kuwabara ran past his friends, sweat and blood pouring down his face. "Run!" he yelled as he went down the same path, away from the cave as quickly as he could.

Yusuke shook off his surprise before running after Kuwabara with Kurama close behind. "Hey, wait up Kuwabara!" he shouted.

Amaya stood where she was, staring at the cave entrance. She had sensed something strange coming from the body Kuwabara had in his arms. She sensed the same thing coming from the cave. But when Amaya had made up her mind to check the inside, Hiei suddenly appeared next to her, telling her they needed to get to the others. Amaya opened her mouth to protest, but when she turned to face him, Hiei was already running down the path. Thinking that his behavior was starting to become peculiar even for him, Amaya temporarily forgot about the cave and what she had sensed as she quickly followed him.

The others had traveled a bit farther up the original path they had been going when Amaya finally caught up to them. They were all gathered around Kuwabara, who cradled the female body close to his own. Again, Amaya felt the strange feeling that was coming from that body. Definitely not human. She strode towards them, pushed Yusuke aside, and look down. "Now Kurama, Kuwabara, would you two kindly remind me if humans have cat ears and a tail growing out of them?" Amaya snarled sarcastically.

Kuwabara held in his arms a female cat demon. She looked human, with blonde hair tied in a loose knot along with long bangs that fell around and onto her face. Her skin was very pale with no sign of fur. What fur she had was covering her brown cat ears and a long skinny tail. Her attire was nearly all black. She wore what appeared to have originally been a turtleneck sweater. However, the bottom was cut off just below her breasts so that her whole torso was showing and the sleeves had also been cut off. A brown belt looped loosely around her ripped short shorts. Three more belts adorned her arms, two on her left, and one above the black glove she wore on her right arm. Also on her left arm were two golden bracelets of different size dangling around her thin wrist.

By now, the cat demon was awake. She hissed at the strangers surrounding her before jumping out of Kuwabara's arms. "Who are you? Where am I?" she demanded. Her tense body was crouched low, waiting for a chance to strike.

Kuwabara jumped to his feet and slowly walked towards her like he would to a frightened kitten. "My name's Kazuma Kuwabara, and I saved you from being eaten by some scary creature in the cave back there," he explained and even began to flex his muscles proudly.

The cat demon seemed to loosen up a bit, but when she sniffed Kuwabara's scent, she hissed again. "You're a human!" she exclaimed.

Amaya stepped forward menacingly. "Yeah, well I'm not," she growled. She conjured a fire orb. A rough hand grabbed her wrist, making her lose her concentration. The orb disappeared. Amaya turned her head towards the perpetrator and met fierce crimson red eyes.

Hiei let her wrist go. "_Baka onna_, this demon's no threat to us," he told her harshly.

Amaya blinked, stunned by the hard tone he was using on her. She watched silently as Hiei approached the cat demon with no trace of fear on his face.

"What's your name?" he demanded.

The demon tilted its head curiously, studying Hiei. Then, a small grin spread on her face. "Akisu," she purred. "And you are?"

"Now going to leave," Amaya roughly asserted. She turned away from the group and began walking up the path they had originally been traveling. She looked over her shoulder at the others. "Well?" she demanded.

"Aw Amaya, we can't leave her here! Something might try to get her!" Kuwabara pleaded. He felt delicate hands on him and looked down into Akisu's golden eyes staring up at him. He inwardly melted when she began to purr.

Amaya spun on her heel, turning to fully face them. "She's a demon, you idiot. Survival for those who have to power to do so!" she argued. However, she was soon outnumbered.

"Amaya, we have to bring her along with us," Kurama said calmly.

Yusuke also agreed with the two. "Yeah like Kuwabara said, we can't leave her here."

Amaya turned to Hiei. --And you?-- she telepathically asked him, hoping he was going to agree.

Hiei answered by jumping into the nearest tree. He stared down at her, a sudden distant look in his eyes that chilled Amaya to the bone. She turned away from him, already seeing his answer in those cold crimson eyes.

"Alright," she whispered before she began to lead them up the path.

* * *

Because of that whole incident, when noon came they didn't stop for a rest like they had planned. Hiei still stayed within the trees, but unlike before, he no longer moved ahead of the rest. Instead, he stayed in the branches above Akisu, who was walking next to Kuwabara.

Near mid-afternoon, Kurama chose to walk next to Amaya, who had stayed silent the whole time they had been traveling. "So what was all that about back there?" he asked her quietly so that none of the others heard.

Amaya slid her eyes towards him before going back to looking ahead of her. "What was what?" she answered in a cold, hard tone.

It was obviously a warning for Kurama to not press the subject, but he was as afraid of Amaya as he was of Hiei. "Like how you had ardently opposed for us to leave Akisu," he said lightly. "Or, how Hiei and you don't seem all right at the moment," he added.

Amaya froze for only a split second before she began walking next to him again. However, that split second was enough to let Kurama know he had struck a hole in Amaya's inner wall. Amaya's heart beat had picked up from Kurama's words. So he too had sensed something wrong was going on with Hiei and her.

As if he had heard the last of her thoughts, Kurama tried reassuring her, "Don't worry too much about Hiei. He might just have a lot of things on his mind."

Before his words could have been fully registered in Amaya's mind, at that moment, a sort of purr mixed with a giggle floated into both of their ears from behind. It was definitely coming from Akisu.

"Kuwabara better know better than to mess with another girl when he has Yukina," Amaya muttered darkly under her breath.

Kurama heard and gave her a confused look. "Kuwabara is up ahead walking next to Yusuke," he told her.

Amaya's eyes widened when she looked ahead of them and did see the two humans next to each other. _Please no_, she thought almost desperately as she stopped walking and slowly turned around. A little far behind from their group, walked the other two. Hiei wasn't going from branch to branch anymore. He was on the ground now, and walking very close to him was Akisu. As Amaya watched the cat demon cover her mouth with one hand to smother another giggle while the other hand placed itself on Hiei's arm, the small fire of rage began to kindle and grow within her. She made a move towards them, but Kurama's hand held her back.

"Let me go, fox," she growled dangerously over her shoulder. "That bitch has no right."

"While I do agree, shedding her blood will not make things better," Kurama told her firmly.

"Who said anything about shedding blood? I was merely going to rip her arm off of Hiei," Amaya countered hotly. "Let go now."

Kurama did, but not without warning her that he would be watching.

Amaya shook off his warning as she strode towards Hiei and Akisu. "Hiei," she said coldly. When she had his attention, she reminded him in as little words as possible that they still had a mission and so needed him to be on the lookout ahead of their group.

Hearing her words, Hiei shook his head slowly as if he had just woken up from a dream. Seeing Akisu's hand on his arm, Hiei immediately pulled roughly away from her before disappearing into the trees.

"Aw, why'd you do that? He was only being my body guard!" Akisu whined. In the next moment, she was being pinned to a tree with one of Amaya's dagger to her throat. "H-Hey! Let me go!" Akisu stammered, golden eyes wide with fear. She looked up into Amaya's blood red eyes and began to tremble.

Amaya glared at her. In a tone she had only used when being Nightfire, Amaya warned her, "Stay away from Hiei, _baka neko_. He is not yours, nor will he ever be. Unless you treasure your pathetic life, don't even _think_ about him!"

Now it was Akisu's turn to glare at Amaya for she suddenly gained some unknown courage after being called a 'stupid cat'. "You can't tell me what to do!" she hissed. "I will do what I want!"

Amaya pressed the dagger harder to her neck so that the blade began to cut into the cat demon's skin. A thin red line of blood formed above the blade line. "On the contrary, I will _tell_ you what to do, and you _will_ follow it. Otherwise, my team mates and I will just have one less of a nuisance to watch over," Amaya threatened before she removed her dagger and let Akisu drop onto the base of the tree. Satisfied, Amaya spun around on her heel and began to follow the others. As she passed Kurama, who had seen and heard the whole thing, she remarked, "See? No bloodshed. And I didn't even have to rip off her arm."


	60. Chapter 60

The second day since the Spirit Detectives and Amaya first began their mission in the Makai, the group plus the cat demon Akisu came upon a less than reputable town. It was right in the middle of the route they were taking. Just looking at the crooked stone buildings with most of their windows broken and dirty made one feel very unwelcome already. The dirt road that cut though the town was filled with carcasses of dead demons, some were even human. Hooded dealers flocked either side of the road, trying to sell things to weary travelers.

When Hiei spotted the town in his position in the trees, he immediately stopped the group. Together with Amaya and Kurama, they gathered the rest to hide amongst the trees near the entrance of the town.

"I don't remember hearing Koenma speak of a town," Kurama said thoughtfully, even as he looked at the town warily.

"Me neither." Yusuke opened the holographic map and scanned the route they were taking. "The town doesn't show up on the map either," he announced.

Akisu spoke up, eager to be part of their conversation. "Well that's because we're in one of the remote parts of the Makai," she told them enthusiastically. "Surely you all would have figured out that any map Lord Koenma must have would not entirely be complete of small landmarks such as this town." She smiled widely, showing off her small sharp fangs.

Yusuke nodded and addressed the whole group. "Well, should we just skip this town or not?" he asked. "This could be the only place to take a breather and stock up on supplies we need."

Kurama agreed. "Yes, we seem to have less food than I had thought," he said, almost embarrassed.

"I wonder why," Amaya murmured under her breath as she sent a glare in Akisu's direction. The cat demon stood across the small circle they had formed. She stood very close to Hiei, twirling her long skinny tail around one finger. Amaya looked away from her and returned her attention to the group. "We have one problem; two, actually," she said. She pointed at Yusuke and Kuwabara, which already explained everything.

Hiei stepped forward, arms crossed over his chest. "Hn, I have an idea," he said. He pointed towards the town, particularly at two rather large hooded dealers near the entrance of the town.

Kurama smiled faintly. "It seems we have a solution then."

"Wait a minute," Amaya suddenly interrupted. When she had all eyes on her, she pointed straight for the golden ones. "What are we to do with her? You've all said that once we've found civilization, we'd let her go on her way. Well, we're already knocking on civilization's doorstep."

Akisu hissed at the shorter female demon. Her blonde hair began to stand up on their ends like any cats would. Akisu felt a hand on her shoulder and look down next to her to meet Hiei's eyes.

"Save the cat fight for those that actually care," he told her in an almost bored tone. Akisu immediately calmed down and even went as bold as to cling onto Hiei's arm.

Kurama quickly put a restraining hand on Amaya's shoulder before she could get to the cat demon. "I agree with Amaya," he suddenly announced. This caught everyone's attention. When he felt his companion settle down under his grip, Kurama let go of her. Across from them, Kurama noticed as Amaya did that Hiei made no attempt to remove himself from Akisu's grip. "When we are finished with our business in this town, I think that we must part ways of Akisu," he added, striking the cat demon with a piercing gaze. The latter immediately let go of Hiei under Kurama's eyes.

When their group moved towards the town entrance, Amaya gave her friend a grateful look, which Kurama returned by nodding reassuringly to her.

Hiei and Amaya snuck up behind the two hooded dealers. As quickly as a flash, they knocked out the dealers and pulled their unconscious bodies towards the trees nearest the entrance where everyone waited. The cloaks were taken and given to Yusuke and Kuwabara since they would have been walking into their deaths had they set foot into the town. The unconscious dealers were taken cared of before their group walked into the town with Kuwabara and Yusuke leading them. To not draw any suspicion towards them, the other four followed them as pairs with Hiei and Amaya right behind the two humans and Kurama and an unhappy Akisu after. Under her breath, Amaya directed Yusuke and Kuwabara to lead them towards the nearest inn.

The inn keeper at the front desk greeted their group with a greedy glint in his eye. "Well, well, we don't get much travelers in this part of the Makai," he said silkily as Amaya, also hooded, walked up to him.

"We need one room with one bed. We're not staying here long," she told him shortly.

The inn keeper nodded, smirking. "And the cost will be-" He froze when he felt a cold blade being pressed to his neck. He stared down fearfully at the blood red eyes that stared back at him.

"The cost will be _nothing_," Amaya told him coldly before she removed her dagger from his neck.  
The inn keeper's head bounced up and down. "O-Of course!" He quickly took the nearest key hanging off the wall behind him and began leading them towards the stairs.

As Hiei passed her, he remarked, "Well done _onna_. I think you almost accomplished him nearly wetting his pants."

Stunned, Amaya watched as Hiei smirked at her before going up the stairs. A smile slowly spread across her face as she followed after him.

What she didn't know was that flashing golden eyes had seen the exchange between them.

The room that the inn keeper had randomly given to them was practically bare and entirely shabby. Dry flecks of blood were almost all over the four plain walls making up their room. A 

single rickety bed against the right wall, a nightstand next to it, and a lamp on top of the nightstand were the room's only furniture. Overall, the room was gloomy. Not even the feeble sunlight coming from the crooked window across the door made the room any more welcoming to the weary travelers.

"Man, this place makes _my_ home look like a palace," Yusuke exclaimed after the inn keeper left them. Everyone tried to settle down either by sitting on the bed, remaining standing, or in Hiei's case, sitting at the window. Yet they didn't have much time to take a breather. After a couple of minutes of silence, Kurama reminded them that they couldn't linger long in this town. After a little debate, it was decided that Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara would go out to get supplies.

"I think you should come with us, Amaya," Kurama suddenly suggested right when Yusuke, Kuwabara, and he were about to leave through the door.

Amaya, who stood next to the window and therefore Hiei, looked up in confusion. "What?" she said sharply.

Akisu sat up from her position on the bed. Her eyes were like slits now. "He wants you to come with them into town," she purred and began to twirl her tail with her finger.

"I heard what he said!" Amaya growled. She turned to Kurama and sent him a nasty message telepathically. --What do you think you're doing? You know I can't leave them--

However, Kurama acted as if he hadn't heard her. He looked her straight in the eye and said, "We need a cover and someone to watch over Yusuke and Kuwabara."

Amaya noticed it then. The glimmer in Kurama's emerald eyes that she was always accustomed to was gone. "Are you well, Kur-"

"Are you going to make up your mind, or what?" Kurama demanded impatiently. This brought a stunned reaction to the whole group as all eyes turned to him. Yet Kurama seemed unfazed by this as he still looked into Amaya's confused dark brown eyes.

Amaya blinked once before taking a resigned breath. "Alright, I'm coming if it means that much to you," she told him wearily. Although an alarm was setting off inside of her, she pushed it away. Kurama was probably as tired as the rest of them. She'd let him off the hook this one time.

She turned her head towards Hiei, and saw the equal confusion she felt in his eyes. He looked at her then, and when Amaya saw the underlying concern for his friend, she felt the coldness she had felt from Hiei melt. "I'll see you later," she told him with a faint smile. She watched him nod at her before she left.

When the door had been shut and they were left alone, Akisu turned her head towards Hiei, a smile on her face.

Hiei had returned his attention back to watching outside the window and so did not see this smile or the glint in her golden eyes. As he spotted Kurama and three hooded figures stepping outside, he felt a presence behind him. His hand suddenly shot out and wrapped around Akisu's wrist before she had a chance to lay her hand on his shoulder. When Akisu responded by smirking, Hiei wrinkled his nose in disgust and threw her wrist back to her.

"Hn, what do you want?" he grunted as he turned back to the window.

Akisu purred softly as she tried to put her hand on his shoulder again. And again, Hiei grabbed her wrist before she could.

"Don't touch me, _baka neko_," Hiei warned her dangerously.

The cat demon moved her face closer to his as her other hand began creeping up his chest like a spider. "I love challengessss," she hissed before she suddenly threw herself at him.

* * *

Outside in a small shop, Kurama suddenly collapsed as he was standing in front of the cashier counter.

As Kuwabara leaned down to help his friend, Yusuke called Amaya from her position next to the exit.

"What happened?" she demanded from the doorway. In a blur, she was kneeling next to Kurama.

"Move your troubles out of my store!" the shop owner shrieked angrily. However, a deadly look from Amaya immediately silenced them.

Amaya turned back to Kurama as his eyes were fluttering open. "Kurama, are you alright?" she asked.

He groaned and shook his head slowly. "What happened?" he inquired.

"Dude, you just fainted right now," Kuwabara said with a weak, relieved laugh.

Amaya noticed something with Kurama's eyes. She grabbed his face and forced him to look at her. An alarm as clear as day went off louder than all the others ones she'd been feeling lately as she saw the familiar glitter in Kurama's eyes. She let him go and stood up quickly as her three team mates looked at her in confusion.

"Is there something wrong?" Yusuke asked hesitantly. Yet his gut feeling was telling him it was so.

Amaya bent down and quickly helped Kurama to his feet. "We have to get back to the inn," she said urgently. "There's something wrong." Without waiting for them, Amaya quickly ran out of the store.

Seconds later, she burst in through the door of their room. A gasp formed thickly in her throat but never reached her lips as she stared at the scene in front of the window. Hiei wasn't sitting at the windowsill anymore. Instead, he stood in front of the window with Akisu in his arms, his hands tightly around her wrists with her hands wrapped around his neck. Their bodies were pressed very close together as they kissed passionately.

Amaya should have felt betrayed, hurt; at least some kind of emotion. But all she felt was numbness. She should have ripped them apart and shoved her katana into Akisu. Yet all she did was turn around and run out the door just as the other three arrived.

"Holy," Yusuke muttered as he watched with wide eyes Hiei and Akisu quickly parted.

Hiei roughly wiped his lips with his arm before backhanding the cat demon hard across her face. "_Kono ama!_," he cursed as she fell against the window frame. He turned to the others, searching for Amaya.

"She ran away, Hiei," Kurama told him in a hard voice.

Hiei lowered his head from the accusing glares of his team mates and clenched his fists so hard that his nails were digging into his palms. He turned back to face Akisu but found that she had disappeared. The window was wide open, however.

Hiei looked at the others over his shoulder. "We have to find Amaya."

* * *

They had a long way to go. Amaya had run out of the town, up the route they had been going for about three days now. As soon as she couldn't see the town from over her shoulder, Amaya got off the path and ran deeper into the forest. Her sight was blurred with tears that threatened to fall but quite couldn't. Her limbs burned from running, but she didn't stop until she tripped over a large tree root she hadn't seen. She rolled on the ground and came to a stop face down on the dirt. Amaya's numbness finally disappeared, leaving a barrage of emotions she had not felt in so long to attack her. She finally let herself cry.

A shadow fell upon her. "Aww, the mighty Nightfire falls hard for a fire demon only to have her black heart broken."

Amaya snapped her eyes open. She jumped to her feet and stepped away from Akisu, who smirked down at her. "You bitch!" Amaya angrily shouted at her as she unsheathed her katana and pointed it at the cat demon.

Akisu began twirling her tail with her finger. "Funny," she mused. "Your former lover said the exact same thing after we kissed." Akisu began to slink closer to her like a cat closing in on a hapless bird. "He didn't want you, you know," she told Amaya with a smirk. She saw the rage, and therefore recklessness, building in her adversarys eyes and continued wearing on her ties of self-control. "He was only waiting for the right woman to come to him." Akisu stopped a few feet in front of Amaya. "And the right woman _has_."

Her last thread of rationality broke. Amaya cried out and swung her katana. However, her blade only sliced through air. Amaya's blood red eyes followed Akisu's body as it soared over her head. As soon as the cat demon's feet touched the ground, Amaya swung her weapon again. Again, Akisu jumped away. This went on for a time as Amaya grew more tired.

"Poor little Nightfire!" Akisu laughed.

Amaya suddenly froze and looked at the cat demon suspiciously. Her rational senses were back to overshadowing her demon instincts. "How do you know my identity?" she demanded. "No one told you that."

Akisu chuckled and placed her hands on her hips. "Let's just say a very powerful elemental demon told me," she purred. She began laughing in delight when the look of realization appeared on Amaya's face.

"Kisei," Amaya whispered. She glared at Akisu. "Did he plan all of this?" she demanded. _As well as Hiei's seduction . . .?_

The cat demon opened her arms wide. "Of course, but," she added with a glint in her eyes, "Hiei falling _in love_ with me was his own doing." Her golden eyes widened and she screamed before four daggers pinned her to a tree. She tried to pull away, but the daggers had also stuck themselves deep in her limbs. Blood began to run down her arms and legs.

Amaya appeared in front of her instantly, her red and obsidian flecked eyes flashing menacingly up at Akisu's fearful golden eyes. In her left hand, Amaya twirled another dagger. She lifted the dagger before plunging it in the cat demon's gut. Akisu screamed as blood trickled from her mouth. Amaya gave the weapon a twist and blood fell on her.

"You will suffer before I rip the life out of you," she hissed. She ripped out the dagger. As she began to raise it up to plunge it in Akisu again, Amaya was suddenly attacked by a bolt of lightning from behind. Pain exploded from every cell of her being. Amaya cried out as she fell on all fours. Her dagger clattered at Akisu's feet. As quickly as it happened, the attack stopped, leaving Amaya's breathing labored. Tendrils of smoke rose off of her body.

Like before, a shadow fell upon her. A dead-sounding voice floated through her ringing ears. "Hello, kitten."

Upon instinct, Amaya rolled away from Kisei and onto her feet. Simultaneously, she unsheathed her katana again.

Kisei smiled at her admiringly. "I see you've taken to Akisu," he said and lifted a hand towards the unconscious cat demon pinned to the tree beside him.

"I knew it all along that finding her wasn't a mere coincidence," Amaya growled. Something trickled down the side of her face. She quickly wiped it with her hand. When she pulled it away, she saw that her hand was covered in blood, her blood.

Kisei saw this and made a "tut" sound underneath his breath. "Messy, messy cat demons," he murmured. His steely grey eyes quickly moved towards the spot where he heard sounds of feet rapidly approaching where they were. He returned his attention to Amaya who had also heard the rest of her team mates approaching. "It seems that our time has come to an end, kitten," he said coldly. Kisei lifted his hands. They began to glow light blue, and then a whirlwind suddenly engulfed him and the tree Akisu was pinned to.

Amaya quickly covered her eyes with one arm from the flying debris. When the wind had died down, she removed her arm to see that both foes had disappeared. Her katana clattered on the ground. She slowly sank down onto the ground as the Spirit Detectives finally arrived.

"Stay away from me," she warned as Hiei began to take a step towards her. However, he paid her no heed as he slowly began to walk up to her. Without warning, Amaya threw up her hand and using her psychic powers, she slammed Hiei into the same tree she had pinned Akisu. "I said stay away!" she shouted as Hiei slid down the trunk. Tears began filling up her eyes. "I never want to see you again!"

A monotonous voice said in her ear, "Well that could be arranged."

"Amaya!"

Hiei jumped to his feet and watched as a tall demon in all black and grey eyes appeared behind Amaya. The demon placed his hands on either side of her head and shocked her with electricity, making her fall unconscious. The demon looked up and pierced Hiei with his steely grey eyes. "Thank you, Jaganshi," he said in a tone that sounded dead.

Unsheathing his katana, Hiei ran towards him and jumped, but when he landed, it was to find that both the demon and Amaya were gone.


	61. Chapter 61

The slow beating of her heart was what woke up Amaya. The first thing she noticed was that she was no longer in the forest. Instead, she was in a very large bedroom that looked built for royalty complete with a king size bed lying against the opposite wall from her. The second thing she noticed was that she wasn't covered by her cloak and was weaponless. Amaya then took note that her arms were chained above her head. She looked up and saw the cuffs glowed dark red and black. They were energy cuffs; almost the exact same as the ones the Spirit Detectives had used on her before every time she was captured. Her powers were, in effect, useless.

"Son of a bitch," Amaya cussed out loud. She suddenly felt a presence in front of her and lowered her head.

Kisei stood in front of her with a blank look. "A lady such as yourself shouldn't curse," he told her in that dead tone of his.

Amaya spat at his feet. "Take that from a _lady_ such as myself!" she growled.

Kisei slowly shook his head. An amused smile played across his lips but never reached his eyes. "Such _fire_ in you," he said with the amazement of an owner who has just captured a wild creature. He reached into an inner pocket of his leather coat and pulled out a translucent orb big enough to fit in the palm of his hand.

Amaya's eyes widened in true fear as she recognized the artifact he held. This object was one of few that could take a demon's energy from them and the holder can use the stolen powers at will. But what scared Amaya most was that she would be reduced to a level of a human. Amaya began to struggle as Kisei held out the orb and began moving slowly towards her. "Get away from me," she yelled.

The taller demon stopped three feet away from her. A cold, cruel smirk was beginning to spread across his face. He thrust the orb into Amaya's chest and began to chant in an old demon language. The artifact began to slow silver before clouds the color of blood red and black began to fill it. At the same time, Amaya could feel herself grow weaker as the orb took her demonic energy. When Kisei took the orb away from her, Amaya was breathing heavily. She was now powerless, no better than a human.

"_Yaro_," she cursed, anger seeping into every fiber of her being.

But Kisei paid no attention to her just yet. "Akisu," he called over his shoulder.

"Yes, my lord?"

Kisei moved to the side to reveal the familiar, now barely standing, cat demon. The wounds from the daggers Amaya had pinned her to a tree with back in the forest were no longer bleeding, but it was clear with the loss of sleekness about her that Akisu had lost a lot of blood and energy. She was nearly at the point of collapsing.

Kisei handed her the orb. "Take this to the mirror room," he told her silkily.

Akisu bowed to him. She turned to Amaya and took enough strength to direct a poisonous smirk at her. "It seems _I_ have the last laugh," she purred.

Amaya chose that time to spit in Akisu's face the blood that had been filling her mouth. She threw her head back and laughed as Akisu shrieked at the same time she tried to wipe off the blood with her arm.

Akisu glared at her through the blood. "I'm going to _kill_ you with my bare hands!" she screamed. The cat demon began to advance on Amaya, but Kisei's hand wrapped itself around her tail and yanked her back.

Amaya smirked at Akisu's crippled form lying at her feet on the white marbled floor. "No matter what, it is I who will always have the last laugh."

"Leave us," Kisei commanded.

Akisu shakily picked herself up, careful not to break the orb she still held. She threw Amaya a loathing look before she disappeared through the door on the wall to Amaya's left side.

The last mirth Amaya had felt instantly vanished as quickly as Akisu had when Kisei turned his full attention on her. Amaya glared at him. "What do you want with me?" she demanded.

Kisei held up his hands. Amaya watched as sparks began to jump between his finger tips. "I have quite a while before my meeting with Prince Koenma." He smirked coldly. "Enough time to begin the process of extinguishing that fire inside of you."

* * *

In the Spirit World, Koenma Daioh watched as a portal opened next to his desk and the Spirit Detectives trudged into his office, one member short. "I see you're back early," Koenma said grimly.

Yusuke held up a fist at him. "The area you told us to go _was not there_, Koenma!" he yelled angrily.

"I know," the child answered calmly. "We were fed false info."

"We have other problems," Kurama said, not noticing Koenma's lack of distress through his own. "The demon Kisei captured Amaya."

Koenma waved that off as if it were a mere nuisance. "Yes, yes, I know that too. The whole thing was a trap," he said irritably.

A stunned silence filled the Spirit Detectives until an icy rage filled Hiei. He spoke out what was on all of his team mates' minds. "How do you know all of this?" he demanded.

Koenma clasped his hands together, a serious look on his child face. "Because we received a tape from one of Kisei's minions." Koenma picked up the remote on his desk and pointed it towards the screen that had appeared behind his team when they had been talking. He clicked the play button as all attention turned to the screen.

The screen blipped on and the upper half of Kisei's body appeared on the screen. "Hello Prince Koenma of Spirit World," he greeted them in that dead monotone that the boys have come to hate. "By the time you receive this message, the demon named Nightfire will have been taken from you Spirit Detective's midst through the plan I have concocted. Yes, you child, the location you think I am at is false." Kisei lifted two fingers at the screen. The steely grey eyes were alight with some sort of madness growing in them. "I give you two hours until I send a transmission to you on terms of an exchange for not only Nightfire but more. Two hours," Kisei repeated with a smirk. "Enough time for your Spirit Detectives to come back to your like dogs with their tails between their legs."

Koenma turned off the screen before addressing the four silent boys standing in front of him. "As you can see, we have a very severe problem in our hands. We don't even know what Kisei's full potential is," Koenma told them, looking into each troubled face sternly. He held up a finger. "We have less than an hour until we receive this transmission."

* * *

Pain continuously coursed through Amaya like the high bolts of lightning Kisei unrelentingly shocked her with. Then suddenly, the electricity stopped coursing through her, although she couldn't say the same about the pain. Her ears were still ringing so she couldn't hear a word Kisei was now saying. Without warning, ice cold water was thrown on her, followed immediately by more, stronger electricity. Amaya threw her head back and screamed. When her screams began to fill the entire room, Kisei stopped the bout of torture.

"Very impressive," he murmured as he watched a thin line of blood fall down the left side of her face and drop onto her heaving chest. "You lasted much longer than I had expected, but then of course," he added maliciously, "you _are_ the infamous Nightfire."

Amaya rapidly blinked away the blood falling into her eyesight as she spat the same substance at his feet. "I am of no use to you," she managed to say through the pain. "Just kill me now!" It was so hard to breathe now. Her lungs felt like they could burst any second. Her legs had given out to the pressure of her body, and so she was hanging by her chained arms with her legs bent underneath her. The cuffs were slicing so hard into her skin that blood from her wrists were coating her arms.

Kisei walked up to her, lifted a hand, and began to stroke her wet, limp hair, almost lovingly. "I don't want to kill you now," he told her. As he spoke, the coldness in his voice grew. "I want to see that fiery spirit of yours break when you finally realize that the Spirit Detectives won't come to rescue you," he finished with so much malice that Amaya almost began to tremble with fear.

Her vision began to swim in and out of blurriness. Then all of a sudden, she was slowly falling, but before the marble floor could catch her body, the soft mattress of the king size bed caught her instead. Before she could process anything in her head, both her wrists and ankles were chained once more. Yet this time it was to the bed posts. When Amaya's vision became clear again, she found that she was staring up at the crimson canopy that hung above the bed. Panic quickly filled her and she began to struggle against her restraints.

The mattress sank on her left side and she turned her head to that direction to see Kisei sitting next to her body with a sadistic smile on his face. He let his hands run over her body as if it were already his possession. And maybe she already was, the thought came painfully to Amaya as she tried to move away from his hands as they passed over every inch of her body. She watched with helpless disgust as his right hand stopped over the curve of her abdomen area.

Kisei began to speak softly to himself. "She told me of this, but I must see for myself." Without a word, he took the shirt she was wearing and ripped it down the middle of her front side to reveal the main part of her upper body. His steely grey eyes lingered for a moment on Amaya's breasts before moving to their main target: her stomach. He placed a hand there and then looked Amaya in the eye with a hint of anger now in his own. "I'm sure that Hiei of the Jagan Eye taught you the _pleasures_ of the bed, but never of the _consequences_," he told her spitefully.

This was the first time anger was so plain in his dead tone and while it should have scared Amaya, she was more shocked at what he just said. "I'm pregnant?" she said softly. Her eyes widened as Kisei lifted his other hand and poised it down above her stomach. With his other hand, he traced an imaginary line with his finger on the left side of her stomach. Amaya instantly knew what he was about to do and began to struggle harder.

Kisei sensed her frenzy and chuckled underneath his breath. "It will be over quickly. This _disease_ has not entirely formed yet," he hissed before plunging his hand into the left side of her stomach.

Amaya shut her eyes tight and screamed as blood and pain washed over her. It was too much, the pain and now sorrow. She blacked out after Kisei ripped out the little form of her baby boy from her protesting body.


	62. Chapter 62

There was no one in Koenma's office but the Spirit Detectives and Koenma himself. The ogres that regularly plagued the large room had been dismissed until further notice. The tension was so thick that not even the strongest of blades could cut through it. Tensions were running so high that there was not a single person among them, even Kurama, who had not spoken a spiteful word the past hour of merely waiting.

When it was time, a loud _pop_ was heard coming from behind Koenma's desk. The child had changed into his teenage form. He saw the skeptical looks from the Spirit Detectives and only told them that this situation needed him in this form. At that moment, a beeping noise came from the screen. Red words saying _Transmission Starting_ appeared on the screen, captivating everyone's attention. Koenma picked up his remote and pressed a button.

Kisei appeared on the screen. The first thing they all noticed was that the room he stood in was a grand bedroom. Seen over his shoulder was a magnificent bed to confirm their suspicions.

Hiei made a noise full of disgust. Both his fists curled into tight balls at his side. "He dares receive us in his bedroom with his slut still on the mattress. An insult no words can describe," he hissed angrily. Like everyone else on his side of the screen, Hiei had spotted the figure of a woman lying on the bed. She lay on her side so that her naked back was facing towards them. What slightly disturbed each person in Koenma's office was that this woman's body was covered with blood along with the surrounding area of the bed.

A cold, secretive smile played across Kisei's lips. He moved slightly so that he eclipsed the figure on the bed. "Do not mind her just yet," he told them coolly.

Yusuke took a step forward authoritatively. He pointed straight at Kisei's figure on the screen. "You think you're so powerful, why don't you show it! My friends and I challenge you to get back Amaya and stop whatever you're planning!" he challenged. "No more of your tricks!"

Kisei shrugged his shoulders fluidly. "No more tricks then," he said. "As for my plan . . ." He smirked. "It is one of the most noble a demon can enact for his fellow brethren. For far too long, we demons have been limited only to our meager world. It is not enough for us seeking more power." Kisei turned to Kurama and Hiei. "It is that not right?" he asked them as if they were co-conspirators.

"Power isn't everything," Kurama told him stiffly.

Kisie smiled coldly. "A predictable answer from a demon that already lives among humans," he said maliciously. He continued, now with fervor in his dead tone. "I have borrowed one of your old foes' ideas - Sakyo's idea, to be exact," he added. "I am reviving his plan to make a tunnel of sorts between the Human and Demon worlds." His eyes moved to the two humans. "The incident at your school was a mere, ah, setback. In short, it was never supposed to happen."

"How can that possibly be achieved?" Kurama countered. "As I recall, that portal was more of a rip."

Kisei nodded his head good-naturedly. "That is why I said it was never supposed to happen," he repeated. "You see, Sakyo had attempted to create his tunnel using human technology and means. Being human, he would not have known about certain _loopholes _that still exist in the Human World." He saw the looks of realization light up on Koenma, Kurama, and Hiei's faces, and his smirk grew wider. "The Guarded Gates," he confirmed what they feared.

Kuwabara turned to Yusuke. "Hey, do you know what they're talking about?" he asked.

"No. I'm as lost as you are," Yusuke replied.

Kisei turned to them, wearing a look of contempt. "Of course you wouldn't know," he told them. "Humans don't have the same life capacity as demons, and the only humans that know of the gates are its guardians for they have passed their skills and duty to each of their generations."

"You see," Koenma began, "long ago, the Human World was plagued by demons of all sizes and levels of power. Demons were able to come and go between the two worlds at ease because of these naturally occurring, say 'glitches', between the worlds that appeared all over the Human World."

Kurama took over the story. "And so humans with power such as you two were chosen by King Enma to either destroy or guard these so-called glitches. Many had been successfully destroyed, but others were not. So, those who could not destroy their assigned glitch became the guardians. The remaining glitches, now called the Guarded Gates, have been converted to shrines filled with charms to ward off the weak majority of demons. The much stronger ones that happen to pass through them are dealt with by the gates' guardians."

"There are barely anymore real active gates today because many have either closed for good or became dormant," Hiei finished. "However, there have been rumors of only one active gate left somewhere in the surrounding countryside of Tokyo, but that hasn't been proven."

Kisei chuckled softly, bringing attention back to him. "Precisely," he said. "However, I have found that active gate." The stunned silence that greeted him was the sign to continue. "Nearly two human decades ago, a demon by the name of Tatsuki the Switchblade was ordered to enter the Human World through that same gate where he killed its guardian named Hotaru. The duties were immediately taken over by her father named Yosho and not her son Tenchi because the boy was too young. Her husband, who is now known infamously as Nightwing, soon left to extract revenge on the one who killed his beloved wife."

Kisei paused briefly as he sensed the figure on the bed begin to stir. He continued after a moment. "I was the one who ordered Tatsuki the Switchblade to kill that wretched girl. He was supposed to slaughter her whole family afterwards, but instead he disobeyed that part of his orders and decided to find amusement elsewhere." Kisei sighed. "It's quite hard to find good help these days, eh, Koenma?" Kisei added maliciously.

The prince glared at him. "And what do you plan to do with this active gate?" he demanded.

"I plan to use it as my structure," Kisei told him. "I plan to open it up and make it a _permanent feature_ in the Human World."

Kurama interrupted him. "You cannot do that if the gate still has its guardian," he said.

Kisei laughed. "I know that," he said as if Kurama was naive. "That is why I sent assassins to kill off the child Tenchi and his grandfather Yosho. No need killing the father because he has not the blood of the guardians."

He started to get down to business. "And now, it's time to negotiate a trade. The tunnel and me sparing the guardians' wretched lives for . . ." He paused for effect. "For control of the Spirit World!"

Uproar began to rise on the other side of the monitor, but before it could get out of hand, Hiei's lone voice immediately shut them up. "And where does Nightfire play into all this?" he demanded, remembering that this demon did not know her real name.

"Yeah, where is she?" Yusuke demanded.

A slow, cruel smile spread across Kisei's lips. His grey eyes glinted with newfound bloodlust. "Oh, you've already had the chance to see her," he said silkily. Kisei moved out of their vision to reveal the figure lying on the bed.

"That's-?" Yusuke couldn't go on for his eyes, like the rest of his team mates', were glued onto the figure they had originally thought was Kisei's mistress. Except this time, horror shined clearly as the blood on her body gained new meaning to them.

Kuwabara suppressed the urge to throw up. "Ugh, I can't look anymore," he gagged before he turned away from the screen.

Rage slowly began to fill Hiei. "What did you do to her?" he pressed.

Kisei raised his left hand, the same hand he had used to extract her child from her body. Even now, the fingers were still tipped with dry blood from the deed. The demon relished the fear filling his audience on the other side. However, he noted curiously, only one person among them didn't seem to be affected by any of this. Kisei returned to the ones that were being affected. "She is merely tired from a _strenuous_ surgery," he said with a hint of secret humor. "I also add her to the deal. The tunnel and the lives of the guardians and Nightfire for power of the Spirit World," he declared his ultimatum.

Koenma picked up his remote once more. "I'm sorry to decline, but I must," he said tightly before anyone could get past their shock to say anything. "This transmission is terminated. We will find that gate, warn its guardians, and stop you. As for Nightfire," he added with a brief glance at the stunned boys in front of him, "_keep her_."

* * *

Before Kisei's calm eyes, Koenma lifted his remote and clicked a button. The screen became blank before the Spirit Detectives, who had finally realized what the prince had said, could say a word.

Kisei turned around, finally able to direct his full attention towards the woman on his bed. Amaya was now awake, but she did not move. Her eyes were wide open, but they were more in disbelief and horror than from being finally conscious. Kisei smirked coldly as he sat down beside her. He began stroking her hair. "You have heard. You are now abandoned by those who you thought you could trust," he hissed in her ear. He repeated his words, trying to drill them into her mind so that her spirit was even closer to breaking to his will. "You are abandoned. You are alone."

_Abandoned . . . alone . . ._

Tear drops fell upon the satin pillow underneath her. She silently cried not only for the child she lost and the burning betrayal she felt, but also for the child whose name meant 'angel' in Japanese, who lost both his mother and father to the demon now looming over her broken body.

Amaya finally closed her eyes as she began to build a numbing wall around herself, letting Kisei do what he want with her. It didn't matter anymore. She was -

_Abandoned . . . alone . . ._

* * *

When the boys had recognized Amaya underneath all that blood, terror for her was so great that they had been stunned silent. If Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama felt devastated by the sight of Amaya's broken body, they couldn't possibly imagine what was going through Hiei as he stared transfixed at Amaya. None of them could also begin to imagine what kind of _surgery_ Kisei had performed on her.

So struck to the core they were that the negotiation, or lack thereof, that passed between Koenma and Kisei didn't even affect them until two words penetrated the foggy haze that clouded their mind.

_Keep her_.

When Koenma spoke those final words and ended the transmission, the four boys had come back to their senses, enraged. They turned on Koenma as if he were the enemy now.

"Why did you do that?!" Yusuke cried to the prince who calmly stood behind his desk.

"She's going to die if we leave her with that monster!" Kuwabara yelled, his honor code backing his outrage.

"It was for the best," Koenma told them.

"Is this just part of another plan?" Kurama implored beseechingly, trying to find some sense in Koenma's decision.

"You fool, of course this isn't." The other three turned slowly to Hiei, who had not spoken until now. Cold fury was emanating so strongly from him that his own teammates were beginning to become slightly nervous. They could sense his rising demonic energy twist and pulse all around him.

Hiei turned his seething crimson eyes to Koenma. He spoke to the blank stare that was looking back at him. "You've always hated her, and this was a _golden _opportunity to rid yourself of her once and for all," Hiei threw at the prince with viciousness in every word. Pain and hate he had never felt before ran deeply in his blood and filled his mind almost to the brim that he was ready to go on pure instincts now.

He momentarily found the will to rein in these feelings and bowed his head. His bangs shaded his eyes. "I had previously come to believe it was I who had betrayed her, for letting her slip through my fingers," Hiei quietly spoke to himself but his words rang loud enough so that they were heard by all. Suddenly, his head snapped up. His aura skyrocketed and nearly blew his team mates away. The stacks of paper on Koenma's desk flew off and began to swirl around Hiei like an angry vortex.

Hiei pointed at Koenma. "But it was _you_ who betrayed her!" he bellowed above the roar his unchecked demonic energy was creating. "I see the righteous mask you cover yourself with! I know that you will do _nothing_ to get her back!" Hiei began to advance on him but before he could reach Koenma, he was suddenly grabbed on both arms by Yusuke and Kuwabara. The two humans began to drag him out of the room.

As Kurama shut the doors on them, a muffled yell came from behind. The doors burst open, knocking Kurama off his feet.

Hiei immediately rushed in and stopped before a now alarmed Koenma. The enraged demon threw off his cloak and began to summon his powerful dragon. Wisps of black energy began to tangle around his body. "Dragon of the-"

"Spirit Gun!" shouted Yusuke's voice directly from behind him.

Hiei turned around in time to catch Yusuke's attack by the stomach. A mighty explosion followed that shook the entire room. When the smoke cleared, Hiei lay unconscious inside a huge crater in the middle of Koenma's office.

Thinking it safe, Kuwabara peeked through the doors. His eyes widened seeing Hiei not moving. "Holy cheese, Uremeshi! Did ya _kill_ him?" he exclaimed as Yusuke jumped down into the hole. He checked Hiei's pulse and was relieved when he felt one. "He's still alive," Yusuke called out. 

He threw one of Hiei's arms over his shoulders and lifted his teammate out of the crater.

Yusuke started towards the doors, but when he caught Koenma muttering "What a mess" he stopped and slowly faced his boss with hostility all over his demeanor.

"You know Koenma," he started slowly with great restraint, "I just don't get it. Even if you come off as a jerk sometimes, deep down I've always thought you were fair to everyone and would never let personal feelings affect your judgment unless it was absolutely necessary. But _this_," he let anger slip in his words, "this decision is just not _you_." Without another word, Yusuke and Kuwabara left the office, supporting Hiei in between them.

"He is right," Kurama spoke up after a few silent moments. He slowly shook his head as if greatly disappointed in the prince that stood in front of him. And maybe he was. "And to my regret, Hiei is also right."

Koenma slammed his hands down hard on his desk. For the first time, anger showed clearly on his face and in his tone. "I did what I believed was right!" he yelled. "I could not give that lunatic the power of Spirit World!"

Kurama pierced Koenma with a harsh look. "We were not speaking of _that_ decision," he retorted coldly. "You have every right to protect the bigger scheme of things. However, we all know that you are not going to even attempt to save Amaya. That is where you failed us."

Koenma blinked, purely astounded. This was the first time Kurama has ever spoken to him this way.

Kurama continued. "You did hate Amaya. We all knew it, but to go and abandon her-" Kurama stopped because it was too hard to finish. He began again in a quieter, more restrained voice. "All four of us will not stop looking for her. _We_ will not abandon either her or our hope." Kurama slowly turned around and started for the door, but Koenma ordered him to stop. When the demon had turned back around to face the prince, it was to see a distant look staring back at him.

"Even if there is a chance you find Kisei's location," Koenma said, "it will already be too late for Amaya Toshi."


	63. Chapter 63

_Take her. _

Those two words from a being she hated with every cell in her body haunted Amaya after that day she was abandoned by people who she had thought she could trust and who she thought cared about her.

Since that day, the monster named Kisei raped Amaya every night. His lust seemed to be insatiable. He especially loved using his razor sharp nails to add more cuts and bruises to the canvas of her already damaged body. Even with her demon blood helping the healing process go faster, it was not enough time for her wounds to close. Every morning, Kisei was gone before she woke up doing who knows what. She was forced to wait among the same bloodied sheets day after day as her wounds from the night before healed, still wearing the chains he kept her tied down to the bed with. When night came, he would return silently like a shadow and fall upon her like a hungry predator.

She had fought against him at first, but as the days piled on top of each other and she came to realize more and more that no one would come to rescue her, the fire inside of her slowly dimmed until it was only a mere wisp of what was once an inferno. After the first month of being Kisei's prisoner, Amaya had already a broken soul. However, even though Kisei believed she was now his possession, deep down there was still a flicker of hope in Amaya that grew dim each passing night when Kisei returned.

As time progressed and Amaya lost her will to fight back, Kisei eventually removed her chains. Yet he made sure to keep both doors and the balcony window facing opposite of it locked before he left each morning just in case. Amaya was a prisoner, but now she simply didn't care anymore. She was too numb inside, felt too cold. Not even when Kisei decided for his amusement to taunt Amaya by describing in great detail what he would do to her while calling her his slut or slave did Amaya do anything to stop him.

However, no matter how much her mind told her that she was abandoned and that it was futile to even care about anything anymore, her heart said otherwise.

As the days became shorter and the nights grew longer after that first month, the little flame Amaya had somehow managed to hold onto was still alive, but not because of hope anymore. As they days piled on top of each other, deep anger took hope's place and slowly fed itself to the feeble flame. Unknowingly to Kisei and, at first, Amaya, the flame grew rapidly and uncontrollably into worse than the inferno she originally had when three months had passed since that day. One night after Kisei painfully reminded her of the child she had lost, Amaya discovered it.

At first, fear gripped her mind. But her thirst for revenge that had developed from the flame overtook that fear and manipulated it easily, creating more hate and anger.

At that moment, Amaya knew what she could do, what she _had_ to do to escape her prison and get revenge on those who really did her wrong: Koenma and his Spirit Detectives.

By the next night, Amaya already had a plan in mind. It was a sketchy plan that only took her past the bedroom door, but she'd make up the rest when she came to it. The first part of the plan, the one that she was sure of, was easy to pull off. Even though Kisei didn't tire out easily, when he eventually did, almost nothing could wake him up. This Amaya had discovered through the many first nights she would cry herself to sleep.

That night after Kisei had done the deed, Amaya waited until she was certain the monster was out like a light before she carefully slipped out of the covers. Because she had not anticipated how weak her legs would be after months of just laying all day and night in bed, her legs gave way from underneath her. She slowly sank onto the cold marble floor. Fresh blood from wounds Kisei had given to her this night stained her already dirty skin. Yet she did not feel any pain because her body hand long ago numbed itself to that feeling. It is said that when the body goes through so much unbearable pain, the body begins to stop feeling it. This is what happened to Amaya. However, that did not mean her body was not weakened from a low level of blood. Suddenly, the room began to spin.

Amaya leaned forward and placed both hands gingerly on the floor. She took deep silent breaths until the spinning had stopped. Her dilated dark brown eyes spotted a ripped piece of black fabric next to her left hand. She grabbed it and held it up. It was her pants, but it was better to describe it more like shorts now. Amaya looked around and found what was left of her shirt. There was a gigantic rip down the front, but it still looked useful. She put these on.

The bedroom door clicked softly behind Amaya. A long hallway ran from her right side to her left. Amaya had no clue where the "mirror room" Kisei was keeping the orb was and so was stumped. Suddenly an idea struck her. Since it was her energy stolen from her, and so still a part of her, maybe she could sense where it is. As her only option, Amaya closed her eyes and tried to sense where the orb was. It came to her like a heartbeat. Beneath her eyelids, she saw her whole surroundings in black with their white outlines. Coming from the door was a faint trail of a black and red aura - hers. The trail went to the right. Amaya snapped open her eyes and quickly followed the right path.

Large mid-level demons acting as guards patrolled the numerous hallways she ran through in search of the room her powers were being kept in. Very careful to not be seen, Amaya kept inside the shadows. She was very vulnerable because she had neither powers nor weapons. Her weapons she had tried to find back in the bedroom, but she didn't find them. She figured that they were in the mirror room along with her powers.

After dodging a rather nasty-looking demon, the trail grew stronger and led Amaya to a hallway patrolled by the one demon she did not want to meet with in this weak state: Akisu. After three months, the wounds Amaya had given her were already fully healed, which bode ill for the once powerful assassin. Amaya hoped that there was another hallway she could take to avoid confrontation, but the trail ran through the hallway until it stopped in front of a set of large golden doors near the end of this hallway.

Having no choice, Amaya hid further into the blanket of the shadows as she silently walked into the hallway. As Akisu neared her, Amaya froze and pressed herself harder against the wall. 

When the cat demon came upon her, she suddenly stopped right in front of Amaya and wrinkled her nose. Alarm rose in Amaya, thinking that Akisu had smelled the dry blood she had tried to take off before putting her clothes on, but to her relief, Akisu let out a great sneeze. As the sharp sound echoed throughout the otherwise empty hallway, the cat demon began to keep walking down the hallway. Amaya looked towards the golden doors, but before she even took a step close to them, claws sank deeply into her shoulders. She was picked up and slammed into the other wall of the hallway. Amaya gasped in pain as her head contacted painfully with solid wall. For a brief moment, her vision went black, but in the next second it was back and she was staring at the flashing golden eyes belonging to Akisu.

The cat demon grinned nastily. Her pointy fangs glistened hungrily at Amaya. "I knew I smelled something _foul_," Akisu hissed.

Amaya glared at Akisu fearlessly. This was the hideous creature that ruined it all for her. Without a word, Amaya elongated her own demonic fangs. She grabbed Akisu by her upper arms before sinking her teeth into her left shoulder. Akisu's high-pitched scream echoed throughout the hallway as she let go of Amaya before throwing a punch that sent the powerless demon flying. Amaya somersaulted and landed cleanly on her feet. When she caught the surprised look on Akisu's face, Amaya smirked.

"The orb took my powers, but that doesn't mean it also took my natural skills," Amaya told her proudly. Amaya got into a fighting stance. "And it just so happens that I _only_ need my natural skills to put you away for good," she added darkly.

Akisu's nails grew longer. Her blonde hair stood on end. "You bitch!" she shrieked before she attacked.

Amaya had been hoping to avoid fighting because she thought her body was too weak to handle one. However, as she dodged Akisu's claws, her body showed her otherwise. Her hatred for this creature fed the hungry flame of revenge inside of her. The flame in turn gave back to Amaya the strength to fight back. Flipping back once more, Amaya landed upside down on her hands. Using them as a spring, she pushed off the ground and soared above Akisu's head. Amaya landed cleanly, Akisu also took that opportunity to turn around and catch Amaya as she spun to face her. Amaya cried out more in surprise than pain as she landed on her knees, clutching the left side of her face. Above her, Akisu's shrill laugh cake crashing down on her.

"You pathetic whore!" she crowed triumphantly. "Without your powers, you're _nothing_. Just a mere shadow of what you used to be."

Amaya quickly removed her hands from her face. She eye immediately saw blood had stained her palms and fingers. Akisu had nearly got her left eye, but Amaya had moved her head slightly to avoid that fatal blow. However, Akisu had left a deep, jagged cut that ran from the bottom of her left eye to her chin. Hearing the laughter above her, Amaya did not miss another second. She sharply rammed her head into Akisu's stomach before jumping onto her feet as the cat demon stumbled back, hissing in pain and clutching her abdomen. With a cry, Akisu rushed forward and tried to claw down Amaya again, but the latter once more back flipped onto her hands and spang into the air. This time however, Amaya put less force into her push so that she sailed very close to Akisu's head. Amaya kicked out and connected with the back of Akisu's head. At the same time Amaya landed on her feet, Akisu fell face-first onto the marble floor.

Amaya spun around. She grabbed Akisu's tail and squeezed it exactly how like Kisei had done. The cat demon screamed and began to writhe on the floor. When Akisu tried to get up, Amaya slammed her foot on Akisu's back and squeezed her tail harder.

"Stay still, pussycat," Amaya warned her dangerously.

Akisu looked at her over her shoulder with fear and tears in her golden eyes. "Please, have mercy!" she begged.

Amaya leaned forward slightly and said, "I will show you mercy." When she saw the look of immense relief pass over Akisu's face, she smirked coldly. In a deadly quiet voice, she added, "I will show you as much mercy as dear Koenma and his beloved Spirit Detectives showed _me_!" Using what strength she had, Amaya braced her foot on Akisu's back before she ripped off her tail. Before Akisu could utter a sound and thus alerting the guards, Amaya fell on her. She deftly wrapped the tail around Akisu's neck and strangled her with it. When the cat demon moved no more, Amaya slowly got off her body and glared down at it.

"Apparently since you never had any significant power, you never were _anything_ to begin with," she spat. Amaya turned away and swiftly walked towards the golden doors. She could feel it; her demonic energy was right behind these doors. Amaya pushed open the doors and stepped in.

The mirror room floor was shaped in the design of a pentagon. Five walls including the entrance doors rose up high. True to its name, all five walls and even the ceiling was fit with a mirror. The floor was made of silver that shined and reflected just like a mirror, but what Amaya paid more attention to than her many reflections was at the center of the room.

On top of a tall marble pedestal was the orb. Her demonic powers floated lazily inside the glass orb like clouds. As Amaya moved closer, she noticed now that the orb seemed like it was floating above the pedestal in mid-air. When she came to a stop in front of the pedestal, Amaya squint her eyes suspiciously at the orb, wondering if there was a trap of sorts placed with this artifact. However, the hunger to regain her powers proved too great. She grabbed the orb and began chanting a spell. Where her palms touched the glass, the red and black clouds moved to and soon, Amaya felt her powers rush into her like a river, rejuvenating her body like an aphrodisiac. She pocketed the empty orb into her shorts pocket. At that same moment, guards appeared all around her and the now empty pedestal.

The leader at the door was the biggest of them. He pointed a dirty finger at her, not noticing that Amaya' head was bowed low and her eyes didn't meet his. "Stop where you are!" he shouted as she slowly took a few steps towards him.

A demon standing close to him muttered, "It's Lord Kisei's slut!"

Terrible rage exploded in the pit of Amaya's stomach at these words. Her demonic energy rose with terrifying swiftness and to terrifying heights that some of the weaker guards melted because they could not stand this toxic aura coming from her. "_Never call me that!_" Amaya roared as she snapped her head up and penetrated the one who called her a slut with her blood red and black eyes. With that one deadly look, the demon instantly burst into flames until ash was left.

The leader fixed his eyes on Amaya, seeing her truly for what she really was; for even though before she only wore a black cloak over her body, her eyes were legendary in Makai. "Nightfire!" he screamed with terror.

Amaya threw her head back and laughed insanely, an expression of joy for her but one to fear for the demons. Amaya held out her arms and slowly turned around in a circle, staring down at the demons that were still left. "Take a good look, you pathetic scum," she told them cruelly. She stopped when she faced the leader again. "For tonight the _messenger of death_ comes for your souls!"

* * *

Completely unaware of what was happening in the Makai, Hiei Jaganshi continued to watch the full moon hanging somberly amongst a growing amount of dark clouds in the Human World. He sat at Yusuke's bedroom window. His sullen reflection stared moodily back at him. His right leg was tucked under him while the right leg was crossed over it. The reflection on the window revealed a metal brace around his ankle. It was a tracking device, a little gift Koenma was so thoughtful to order on Hiei after he went on a little spree in the Makai to find information on Kisei's whereabouts a day after Koenma betrayed Amaya. So what if Hiei had killed a few hundred demons that day before his team mates could stop him? Just less pathetic creatures that messed with him later on.

Through the open screen door that led out into the living room, Hiei could faintly hear the two human boys arguing over the racing game that they were playing on the human invention called a television. But so lost in his thought, his _guilt_, Hiei shut those sounds out and went back to brooding like he had done for the past three months since that day.

Kuwabara slammed the controller down in frustration after the third time his best friend beat him again. "Dammit Uremeshi, I know you're cheatin'!" he shouted.

"What?! You're just sure because I kicked your sorry butt!" Yusuke retorted and pumped his fist in the air. Both boys sat on the floor with the television and game console in front of them with a long couch behind them.

Kuwabara grabbed Yusuke by the collar and was about to yell in his face, but when he looked past his best friend's shoulder at the silent figure sitting on a couch behind Yusuke, Kuwabara let go of him. A look almost like regret and guilt filled his face.

Yusuke turned around and looked at Kurama. The handsome boy was looking past the two humans and into Yusuke's room where Hiei stayed by himself. A small frown creased Kurama's mouth. "You alright, Kurama?" Yusuke asked quietly.

The last three months had been hard not only on Hiei, even if he cared about Amaya more, but on the rest too. Since that day, it had been difficult to even look at Koenma's face, let alone do a mission for him. Yet while life relatively went on, there was a gap Amaya had left between all of them. They all miss her.

Kurama tore his eyes away from the gloomy demon sitting at the window and looked at Yusuke. "What?" he asked absentmindedly.

Yusuke blinked in surprise. However, this should be common to him by now. They've all become a bit listless with their lost. "I asked if you're alright," he repeated.

Kurama slowly shook his head, yes. "I am, but I worry about Hiei," he sighed before turning his dark emerald eyes back to his close friend.

Kuwabara nodded. "Yeah, the runt's been taking this the hardest out of alluv us," he said. "I wonder what he's thinkin' about?"

"It's kinda obvious, Kuwabara," Yusuke said a trifle irritably.

When their friend still didn't seem to get it, Kurama began to slowly explain, "Hiei feels that he is responsible for what happened to Amaya because they were, ah, close. He strongly believes that her blood is in her hands. He feels like he did not protect her, but who could have possibly foreseen that this would happen?" The room fell deathly silent after his words, each boy with his own thoughts about Hiei, and about Amaya. They all believed by now that she was dead, and hopefully not worse, but none of them wanted to speak about it at all.

Just when Yusuke and Kuwabara were about to return to their game, they all felt a horrendous shockwave course through their bodies. This power, it was so terrible, almost like Toguro the Elder's full power back in the Dark Tournament. When it was over, Kuwabara exclaimed, "What in Jiminy Cricket's top hat was _that_?"

Kurama jumped to his feet. "I don't know Kuwabara, but whoever it came from," a dark look passed over his eyes, "might be someone we will have to face one of these days."

Behind Kurama, the night sky began to let out its rain, and the grey clouds covered the moon.

* * *

Amaya stared emptily at the corpses that lay on the once clean silver floor and the different colors of blood that slowly dripped down the walls, the ceiling, the golden doors, and her own body. She wiped the blood on her face and flinched when the scab that had been forming over the wound Akisu had given her opened. Amaya laughed harshly as she swiftly walked towards the doors and opened them with her psychic powers. Before she had killed them, Amaya had tapped into the guards' minds to find the location of Kisei's main office. There she shadowed to and there she found exactly what she was looking for.

A great wooden desk sat in front of a large fireplace. On one side of that desk was a computer and on the other in a glass case was her katana. Amaya swiftly took her precious weapon and tied it to her side before she held out her hands. She used her psychic powers to find all of her daggers and throwing stars which she promptly hid most of them in places in her clothes and even in her hair. When she was done, Amaya turned to the computer. She turned it on and looked though the data bases until she opened a folder labeled "Tunnel". When she was done looking through it comprehensively, Amaya crashed the entire system. Amaya set the office on fire before she shadowed back to the bedroom.

After all that had happened, Kisei still hadn't woken up. He still lay where she had left him over two hours ago. As she stopped at the foot of the bed with the blood red Makai moon shining through the balcony window, she used her powers to lock the door and open the window that led into the balcony. She watched numbly as the wind blew from behind her and whipped her hair about. The red streaks in her raven black hair reminded Amaya why and who she was in that bedroom for. She snapped her fingers and kept her eyes on Kisei's face as shadow bonds wrapped around his wrists and ankles and tied him down to the bed as chains had tied her down. She watched as Kisei's eyes slowly opened and widened when he caught sight of her standing over him. He tried to move, but he found that he was tied to his own bed. Fear rapidly filled his steely grey eyes, especially as Amaya slowly climbed onto the bed and straddled his abdominal area.

Kisei tried to call for his guards, but Amaya cut him off. "You'll just be wasting your breath," she told him sadistically. "I've killed most of your guards. Besides," she added with a cruel smirk. "You need to save your breath so that I can relish your screams of pain." From her pocket, she took out the orb. Holding it to Kisei's chest, she repeated the chant he had used to take her powers three months ago and relished the appetizer of revenge as grey clouds of Kisei's demonic energy filled the orb. Kisei tried to say something, but Amaya flicked her wrist and another shadow bond wrapped itself around his throat, silencing him. Amaya placed the orb gently next to Kisei's head to taunt him before she placed both palms on either side of his head.

"_Nightmare Syndrome_."

* * *

Amaya Toshi walked away from Kisei's hideous castle. The tall, hungry flames that surrounded the whole building cast eerie shadows like the distorted one Amaya's body cast. In her left hand she held a bloody bed sheet, and inside it was Kisei's head. She stopped for a moment on top of a hill the path led her to and watched the beautifully haunting sight in front of her with blood red and obsidian eyes. The equally blood red moon shined brightly above the growing inferno, momentarily obscured by the smoke the flames caused, but they would be gone by morning.

Amaya's right hand slowly ran over the scar on the left side of her lower abdomen. It was barely healed, just a jagged burgundy line; just like what the wound on the left side of her face will be in time. But even if the wounds heal, the scars will remain. They will remind her to never ever let anyone in again.

_You are born into this world alone and you will_ die _alone_, Amaya thought bitterly as she let her left hand drop back to her side. _Humans are pathetic. They go around trying to create the illusion that we are all connected in some way; that we owe each other something, when really, we owe each other_ nothing. _That is the demon way, and for about the last year of my life, I had forgotten that . . . until now._

Without another look behind her, Amaya disappeared into the shadows of the night.

* * *

And that's the END for You Should Never Play with Fire! The sequel - which, unfortunately, is on an indefinite hiatus - is called To Be Burned by Fire!


End file.
